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

[The Jom]

Jason Timpf called the series. “There is no chess move for Minnesota to make.”

[BoredAssistant]

I forget, which team does he follow? 

I'm fairly confident his team is the Pels because he's from NO but yeah he's everywhere.

[RGP1981]

The team your describing is exactly like the Mavs current construction, except DJJ is bigger than 6’4” and Kyrie is better than Ant

Lukant > Lyrie.

You're right that it's almost similar. With Kyrie though, you're stuck needing a defensive guard next to him. With Ant, you can more easily mix and match options during a game (for example: a shooter... like a Reed Sheppard type from this year's draftees), because Ant is bigger, stronger and a fearsome defender in his own right.

Also, any team with Luka + Ant is going to be much loved by the whole NBA universe.

Anyway, that's just my personal fantasy.

[Knutsen]

Jason Timpf called the series. “There is no chess move for Minnesota to make.”

I stumbled over his channel thanks to you guys here in the forum and have been listening or watching to every one of them. I really like the way he dissects a game and a series, dude has great knowledge of the game and can articulate himself. 

https://youtu.be/L6r_Df5Xy9o?si=8QjhCyOFDZAg1h7X

[DallasMaverick]

Ant is awesome. My ultimate dream/fantasy scenario is for Ant to get tired of not winning in Minnesota, and then join up with Luka because he realizes that it would be best for him to play alongside a high scoring Point-Forward who is also the primary play-maker... and those don't grow on trees.

Ant needs a primary play-maker... but playing with a Point Guard who is not defensively strong (like Mike Conley, who has otherwise been great for the Timberwolves) means that Ant needs to over-exert himself on defense to defend the opposing team's best small Guard. With Luka and Ant, a team can use a defensive 3&D guard to do that task instead.

G: 3&D Guard (defends the best Guard. a 6'4"-6'5" PJW would do just fine)
G: Ant
F: Luka
F: PJW (defends the best Forward)
C: Gafford/Lively

A team like this could win three in row. Maybe even be historical. Also, I think Luka and Ant would make a really cool and likable duo.

Just need to pair him with Lauri Markannen in Utah!!

[SleepingHero]

Hi ya'll. As a Wolves fan and avid NBA fan, I've been reading other teams forums throughout the playoffs. Suns, Nuggets, and now the Mavs. I have to say I enjoy this forum more than any other I've come across so far, enough so that I had to register and give ya'll the respect you deserve. This has been such a weird playoffs for the Wolves and continues to be through the first two games here. I'll be the first to admit that I was excited to play your squad. However, your squad looks ridiculously tough with the additions of Gafford and PJ. I wish you would all get to see what Ant has done all year, but alas, it looks like he's completely gassed. No one is capable of winning a series this deep in the playoffs when their two stars don't show up for it. Either way, best of the luck the rest of the way and know I'll be observing here and occasionally posting if that's okay.

Love to see it!

Welcome! Maybe we can convert you eventually!

[SleepingHero]

@legendz_nba
LEAKED Audio Of Luka Doncic Trash Talking Rudy Gobert?:

“You motherf*cker…. can’t f*cking guard me!”

Then, Luka tells someone in the crowd: “Go home, b*tch”

Lastly, Luka’s teammates embrace this moment with him, with Dereck Lively saying:

“I’m here for you, bro”

[SleepingHero]

@MavsMuse
Dereck Lively II just became the 1st player in NBA HISTORY to make 10+ shots without a miss to begin a playoff series.

[SleepingHero]

https://twitter.com/ohnohedidnt24/status...5366160797

@ohnohedidnt24
Kyrie on missing two free throws in the 4th:

"Lot of emotions going through my head... A brief moment of disappointment. The fans are going crazy. I think we got them free chicken, right? Something like that"

[SleepingHero]

https://twitter.com/cjzero/status/1794216873095278911

@cjzero
Q: "When Naz Reid got the final final shot off and it was in the air what were you thinking when it was traveling there"
Luka: "I wasn't thinking I almost passed out. That was looking good, too good ... he couldn't miss today"

[SleepingHero]

So did anyone see this tweet?

Dave McMenamin
@mcten
During the time Anthony Edwards was checked out of the game from 7:53 to 5:31 remaining in the 4th Q, the Wolves guard put on a face mask to receive oxygen in the tunnel by the Minnesota bench.

[SleepingHero]

(@MikeAScotto)
Kyrie Irving on Luka Doncic: “I’m amazed. I don’t use that word lightly either… I think he’s answered a lot of calls. When Luka first came into the league, there were a lot of questions on what he was going to turn out to be. I know a few people are eating their words. Watching him ascend into becoming an all-time great is amazing and I don’t take it for granted because I played with one of the greatest of all time, arguably the greatest of all time… I want to be supportive and continue to be an all-time great next to him, continue to show him the ropes, and let him continue to fly.”

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Barkley said something on Inside The NBA that I agree with to a certain extent, although he flip-flops like a fish sometimes. He said the NBA is all about matchups, and the Mavs are a bad matchup for the T-Wolves. They're young and inexperienced like the Thunder and despite they're great size, they have no one capable of consistently guarding their two best players. This is not to say that other teams can stop them either, but we're talking about the totality of each team and how they matchup. He also said, that Denver would beat the Mavs if they played because of those matchups, and experience. We'll never know now, but I can see where he's coming from.

[SleepingHero]

https://x.com/SportsCenter/status/1794226781714542881

SportsCenter (@SportsCenter)
"It's just magic, it's Luka Magic."

—PJ Washington talks to @notthefakeSVP about Luka's game-winner

[SleepingHero]

Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk)
In the clutch in Western Conference Finals — the final 5 minutes when within five points — Dallas has a +15.8 net rating . The Timberwolves have a 100 offensive rating in those minutes. Make it the last 3 minutes when the game is within 3 points and Dallas' net rating is +63.6.

[SleepingHero]

https://twitter.com/MavsStan41/status/17...9792361623

@MavsStan41
Rudy Gobert was playing dirty, so Luka taught him a lesson

[SleepingHero]

https://twitter.com/JoeVirayNBA/status/1...2772198829

@JoeVirayNBA
Broke down the Luka dagger and the Mavs did some really subtle things that made it hard for the Wolves to:

1. Prevent the switch onto Rudy
2. Send a double to help Rudy

Hard to detect in real time and it looks like the Wolves made a mistake in coverage (probably still did), but the Mavs deserve HUGE credit for what they did to get Luka this matchup and shot.

[KillerLeft]

Truly no disrespect to anyone on this board, but some of us seem to be buying into Ant being the next MJ. I keep reading posts about being "scared of Ant." Why? Sure he can have a big game just like any top talent in the NBA, but he averages 25/5/5 this season. That's the exact same numbers as our #2 player, Mr. Kyrie Irving. Our best player averaged 8 more ppg than Ant. They should be scared of Luka and Kyrie. We have 2 of the 3 best players in this series. In game one, we had the 2 best players. We are the better team imo. I'm not scared of anyone on that team. If Edwards scores 45, I don't think that means we lose. It just means the other guys won't be involved as much. Like I said, nothing personal, but Ant isn't MJ or Kobe. He's a really damn good young player with a chance to be great, but he isn't great yet. The media doesn't get to decide that. Results decide that.

And no disrespect right back atcha, but I think you're making hardline judgements of him based on him being 22 years old and struggling in the 3rd round of the playoffs. You and others were right yesterday to point out that he seems to have hit a wall, but it's just as asinine to think an opposing player's worst moments define him as it was when it was done to Dirk his entire career and when they've tried to do it to Luka these past two years. Edwards has simply reached a point where both his conditioning and his understanding of how to defeat certain schemes are limiting him. He's 22! He's going to figure all of that out. 

I also agree with Jason Timpf, who pointed out that neither the Suns nor the Nuggets can defend the rim, which is when Minnesota's offense (mostly Edwards) suddenly seemed to "figure things out." Great insight there about how defenders have to back pedal more in that situation to try to contest in the paint, and so Edwards' midrange game becomes almost easy. 

I promise you, Edwards is and will be GREAT. I don't care about comparisons to MJ. That's for the idiot talking heads, and if you or anyone else is allowing that crap to influence you to hope he fails, I think that sucks. That's playing right into the talking head/media machine business model, to my mind. We all hope he continues to struggle against our Mavs, FOR SURE, but I, for one, have become a fan of Edwards this year. He's a great, fun to watch basketball player.

[KillerLeft]

Hi ya'll. As a Wolves fan and avid NBA fan, I've been reading other teams forums throughout the playoffs. Suns, Nuggets, and now the Mavs. I have to say I enjoy this forum more than any other I've come across so far, enough so that I had to register and give ya'll the respect you deserve. This has been such a weird playoffs for the Wolves and continues to be through the first two games here. I'll be the first to admit that I was excited to play your squad. However, your squad looks ridiculously tough with the additions of Gafford and PJ. I wish you would all get to see what Ant has done all year, but alas, it looks like he's completely gassed. No one is capable of winning a series this deep in the playoffs when their two stars don't show up for it. Either way, best of the luck the rest of the way and know I'll be observing here and occasionally posting if that's okay.

Welcome! What a classy way to introduce yourself, and thanks for the kind words about the discussion that goes on here! Please, join in any time!

Man, your team in Minnesota is great. I hated the Gobert trade, but have to admit I never saw them getting to this level, and I think they have significant room to grow. The west is just brutal, with no signs of letting up any time soon.

[BigDirk41]

And no disrespect right back atcha, but I think you're making hardline judgements of him based on him being 22 years old and struggling in the 3rd round of the playoffs. You and others were right yesterday to point out that he seems to have hit a wall, but it's just as asinine to think an opposing player's worst moments define him as it was when it was done to Dirk his entire career and when they've tried to do it to Luka these past two years. Edwards has simply reached a point where both his conditioning and his understanding of how to defeat certain schemes are limiting him. He's 22! He's going to figure all of that out. 

I also agree with Jason Timpf, who pointed out that neither the Suns nor the Nuggets can defend the rim, which is when Minnesota's offense (mostly Edwards) suddenly seemed to "figure things out." Great insight there about how defenders have to back pedal more in that situation to try to contest in the paint, and so Edwards' midrange game becomes almost easy. 

I promise you, Edwards is and will be GREAT. I don't care about comparisons to MJ. That's for the idiot talking heads, and if you or anyone else is allowing that crap to influence you to hope he fails, I think that sucks. That's playing right into the talking head/media machine business model, to my mind. We all hope he continues to struggle against our Mavs, FOR SURE, but I, for one, have become a fan of Edwards this year. He's a great, fun to watch basketball player.

I don't know how you came to the conclusion that I don't like Anthony Edwards or think he will not be a great player or want him to fail in his career. I clearly said he is a really good young player with the potential to be great. I'm talking about Ant the player right now at 22 because that is who we are facing and I'm more defending our own players than bashing Edwards. We don't have playoff series with players in the future so him being a great or even all time great down the road is irrelevant to this series. My point was he isn't someone we need to fear. Luka is the one to fear and he's our guy.

I never said this series will define his career. Nobody says that about someone his age. Just like this series won't define Luka's career. It might be a defining moment if we win the championship this year. If somehow the Mavs were to lose this series, that doesn't mean Luka is any less of a player. You're putting words into my mouth. I don't want Edwards to do well against Dallas, but I wish him all the success in the world going forward. 

Pointing out that he isn't MJ or Kobe isn't exactly an insult. I just got sick of everyone riding Ant and that includes you. You kept saying how much better Minnesota was and Ant was and to expect it to be different in game 2. We won again. You can defend Ant all you want. I'm going to keep defending the Mavs and they are the better team, like I said before game 2 while you were pumping up how great Minnesota is.