NBA Playoffs: (5) Dallas Mavericks @ (3) Minnesota Timberwolves, Game 2

After dropping each of their two previous series openers, the Mavericks (50-32) got this Western Conference Final off on the right foot with a hard-earned 108-105 victory on Wednesday Night. Dallas trailed throughout much of Game 1 but kept it close enough to unveil a 13-0 assault in the fourth quarter to take a 5-point lead late in the contest, which they would not relinquish. As a team, (HC) Jason Kidd's troops shot a stellar 49.4% from the field against statistically the toughest defense in the NBA, despite netting just 6-of-25 attempts from downtown (24.0%) and dishing out 21 assists. This one came down to the individual brilliance of (All-Stars) Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, who combined for 63 points on 24-of-49 shooting (48.9%), 11 rebounds, and 12 assists. The visitors rode Doncic in the fourth period, where the league's scoring champion posted 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting (62.5%). Furthermore, the mash unit of (Forwards) P.J. Washington, Derrick Jones Jr, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively Jr (more on him in a bit), each played their respective role perfectly, as the Mavs sealed off the paint in yielding just 38 points in that area of the hardwood.

Things to Know: More of the public appears to be siding with the Mavericks after the events of Game 1, as roughly 39% of all bets wagered on tonight sequel have been placed upon Doncic & Co. Dallas is a stellar 56-39 ATS this season, equating to a net profit of 11.91 units. The Mavs are 5-2 on the road in these playoffs SU and ATS. Since February 5th, Kidd's outfit has been the best in the Association, owning a 33-13 record SU and a 32-14 mark ATS. The Mavericks scored 62 of their 108 points in the point in Game 1, while netting just 6 treys, their joint-lowest output of the campaign. Doncic and Irving became only the second Dallas duo to log 30+ points apiece twice during the same playoff run. Lively and Gafford combined for 20 rebounds, including 8 offensive boards. Historically, the Mavs are 11-5 all-time when taking Game 1 of a series, which also marks the first time that they've managed to do so since 2021. Wednesday night's victory was the third time that they've opened the WCF with a win.

Playmaker to Watch: It would be very easy to roll with Luka or Kyrie, but we're going to show some love to Lively instead. The rookie Center didn't start Wednesday night's opener, but he made one helluva an impact in his 26:31 on the hardwood, amassing 9 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and a pair of blocks. The 7-footer has been a revelation for the Mavericks all season, with his length and energy around the rim on both ends of the court helping to key the tea's stunning evolution over the second half of the campaign. Dallas is 17-5 when the Duke product logs 26+ minutes and 13-3 when he totals 10+ rebounds, which are trends that should only continue in a series where he will spend much of his time trading blows with Minnesota's plethora of bigs. Furthermore, his presence had a major influence on the Wolves only amassing 38 points in the paint despite said size.

Meanwhile, perhaps they were gassed from their thrilling comeback victory in Game 7 of the Western Semifinals just 2 days prior to the beginning of this series, but the Timberwolves (56-26) let one slip away from them in Wednesday night's 105-108 affair, which may or may not come back to bite them in @$$. Despite Minnesota leading for all but 9:49, this one was remarkably close, featuring 14 lead changes and 7 ties, though it would be the hosts going scoreless for the bulk of five minutes in the final stanza that flipped the momentum towards the visiting side. Make no mistake, this was NOT an impressive performance from (HC) Chris Finch's troops, who shot just 42.7% from the field with the bulk of their scoring coming from the perimeter, where they knocked down 18-of-49 attempts (36.7%), parlaying to a 36-point advantage in that regard. However, only 40 of their total shots came within the arc, which is not the kind of balance that you want to see. (All-NBA Guard) Anthony Edwards was the poster boy for this narrative, who came one shot short of matching his season on attempts (12).

Things to Know: Even after dropping their third home game in 4 tries, the public remains bullish on the Timberwolves, with approximately 68% of all the money wagered on tonight's affair in Minneapolis riding on Edwards & Co. Minnesota is 16 games better SU than they are ATS (48-45-1), where they've recorded a small net loss of 1.36 units. Their spread success has come via peaks and valleys, with a 3-8 run to end the regular season followed by a streak of 6 consecutive covers to begin the playoffs, only to author a 2-4 mark ATS over the last 6 games. The Wolves are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a home favorite of 5.0-10.5 points. Finch's unit set a franchise playoff record with 18 three-pointers in Game 1, attempting a staggering 49 along the way, which was easily their most this season. This is a team that is 4-5 SU when attempting at least 41 shots from beyond the arc. Historically, the Timberwolves have won only 1 of 11 series after losing the opener, which came back in the 2004 Western Semifinals.

Playmaker to Watch: This is going to be Edwards, folks, who despite making an impact in other areas, shot a poor 6-of-16 from the field (37.5%) en route to just nineteen points. The problem wasn't so much his scoring output, but HOW he got there. The 22-year-old was 5-of-12 from downtown (41.7%), scoring all but four of his points in that total. One of the most explosive finishers in the NBA, Eadwards is doing the Mavericks a favor by settling for treys, which is also influenced by how Dallas defended him in Game 1, utilizing a variation of a box & 1 to deter him from reaching the painted area. The fact that he attempted just 2 free-throws should paint an even clearer picture as to how aggressive he really was. Perhaps this is a sign of immaturity from the rising star, who has certainly fallen in love with the money ball; Edwards has netted 38 triples on 95 attempts during these playoffs, both of which currently stand as postseason franchise records. He's going to have to mix things up if the Wolves are to draw level tonight.

Our Take: Wolves 104, Mavericks 99