Minnesota Timberwolves vs Dallas Mavericks
10:30am, Target Center
A back and forth Game 1 saw the Mavs emerge on top, and it’s now up to the Wolves to respond on their home court before the series shifts to Texas.
A hot start from Kyrie Irving and some clean work on the offensive glass saw the Mavs prevail by three points on Thursday, while at the same time, the Wolves looked a little slow defensively despite keeping Dallas quiet from downtown.
Offensively, the Wolves enjoyed some open looks from three, but there was clearly an element missing on attack as the Mavs continually shut down Minnesota around the rim.
Anthony Edwards wasn’t afforded clear lanes to the basket, and although he had the most success from three, the likes of Mike Conley, Karl Anthony-Towns and Nickeil Alexander Walker combined to shoot just 3 of 21.
The Mavs did a great job drawing Rudy Gobert away from the basket, which in turn, helped create open mid-range shots for Irving and Luka Doncic.
It’s only one game, but Dallas’ strategy clearly caught the Wolves off guard having faced the Mavs’ top two stars only once during their four regular season encounters.
Minnesota has been one of the best defensive teams in the competition all year, so we should see them adjust, but at time of publish, +5.5 about Dallas looks like a steal.
Tip: Back the Mavs to Cover the Line (+5.5 Points) @ $1.90