2024 Playoffs- 3rd Round: Minnesota Timberwolves - Dallas Mavericks- MAVS WIN 4-1!

[HoosierDaddyKidd]

I've only got three keys for this game:

- Derek Lively
- Kyrie Irving
- Luka from Game 5 of OKC series

Lively definitely isn't 100% and neither is Maxi.  But if Maxi can just give you enough minutes to help Lively be at his best possible late game then that's a big plus for the Mavs.  Gafford in drop is a nightmare vs Edwards when you have to get stops.

Kyrie needs to be Kyrie for 4 quarters.  The Wolves can throw a lot of length at him just like OKC did, but Kyrie still had good Kyrie looks that he needs to hit.  No playing possum from Kyrie tonight!  Luka and Kai in attack mode from the jump ball puts a ton of pressure on a Wolves defense that fouls so damn much they eventually will find themselves in foul trouble even with the loose whistle we are bound to see.

The TPups are going to foul the hell out of Luka because its allowed.  McDaniels, Ant and Anderson are going to slap, grab and push.  Gobert is going to take his sneaky BS cheap shots.  No amount of palms up at the refs is going to change the fact that the majority of those are going to go uncalled.  If Luka can channel that inner joy and calmness he found after the OKC Game 4 stinker (similar poor finish to Wolves Game 4), then my confidence level in closing this thing out is sky high.

Look, I love Luka's game as much as the next guy. He's a tremendous talent. But let's call a spade a spade.  Luka gets to the line as much as anybody in the league. His incessant crying and bitching to the refs, is a major turnoff, and he expects to get every freakin foul call known to man.  But he always wants the benefit of the doubt. Most refs deem hand slaps, and other incidental fouls, as play on fouls unless they are blatant. He also acts like he never commits fouls.  If he would quit barking at the refs so much, he would probably get more calls. Refs don't want to be showed up in games, and they give you some rope if you stop being in their ear all game.