The NBA Playoffs continued on Wednesday with Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis.
In what was a drama-filled and tight game, Dallas came out on top by the score of 108-105 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The stars came out to play with Mavericks teammates Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combinining for 63 points. Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns struggled shooting for Minnesota. Here is a look at 10 winners and losers from Wednesday’s action in the NBA Playoffs.
Winner: Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota Timberwolves
McDaniels just continues to prove his worth for Minnesota in the NBA Playoffs. A game that saw both Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns struggle shooting, McDaniels came to play big time. He shot 9-of-15 from the field, including 6-of-9 from three-point range. The forward finished with a team high 24 points in what was a great all-around performance.
Loser: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
Towns did hit a couple big shots in the fourth quarter. But his missed three with Minnesota down four late in the final stanza loomed large. It was part of broader struggles from KAT shooting (6-of-20 from the field). He also missed on seven of nine three-point attempts. In a game that saw Anthony Edwards struggle, the Wolves needed more from Towns. He did not provide it in Game 1.
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Winner: Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks
Irving had done most of his damage in the NBA Playoffs after halftime. That was not the case in Dallas’ Game 1 win. The NBA champion scored 24 points in the first half. It helped as Luka Doncic struggled shooting in the first two quarters. It also helped Doncic take over in the fourth quarter as Dallas pulled off a comeback win. As we’ve noted throughout the NBA Playoffs, these Mavericks need Irving to act as a top-scoring option. He did just that with 30 points on 12-of-23 shooting.
Loser: Tim Hardaway Jr., Dallas Mavericks
Tim Hardaway Jr. just has not had it thus far in the NBA Playoffs. He entered Game 1 averaging less than six points on 41% shooting from the field. The veteran wing was no better on Wednesday, finishing with zero points in 10 minutes of action. This lack of presence could loom large moving forward in the Western Conference Finals. Obviously, the Mavs can’t rely on Irving and Doncic combining for 63 points in every game. They’ll need scoring from other players, too.
Winner: Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves
There is a reason Naz Reid won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award this past regular season. The dude has proven to be a living bucket for Minnesota. That came out in droves in Game 1 with Reid scoring 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting. It was just the shot in the arm that the Timberwolves needed. Reid just continues to prove his worth thus far in the postseason. Wednesday’s performance was a prime example of this.
Loser: Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves
One would figure that the Wolves might have the advantage in the low-post in this series. That was not the case with the Mavericks dropping north of 60 points in the paint. Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford combined for 19 points and 20 rebounds. That does not paint this four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the best of lights.
Winner: Dereck Lively, Dallas Mavericks
This rookie from Duke has been up and down thus far in the NBA Playoffs. But he came to play to close out the Oklahoma City Thunder last round. That included Lively scoring 23 points with 25 rebounds in the final two games. The big man was up to his old tricks as Dallas won Game 1 against Minnesota. Lively scored nine points with 11 rebounds on 4-of-4 shooting from the field. Dallas was also an eye-opening plus-19 in his 27 minutes of action. Talk about making an impact.
Loser: P.J. Washington, Dallas Mavericks
Washington came up absolutely huge for Dallas in the Western Confernce Semifinals, averaging 17.7 points on 47% shooting from three-point range. Having that third scorer behind Doncic and Irving proved large. Despite Dallas’ win Wednesday evening, that was not the case. Washington hit on just 2-of-8 from three-point range. While he did add seven rebounds, more scoring is going to have to be in the cards moving forward. That’s for sure.
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Winner: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
Take over mode. Brilliance defined. Whatever way we want to explain it Doncic, was in his bag in the fourth quarter on Wednesday. He scored 15 points with multiple key defensive plays in the final stanza. All said, Doncic went for 33 points with six rebounds, eight assists and three steals in the three-point win. He is certainly deserving of that likely record-breaking contract this coming summer.
Loser: Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
A total of 12 of Edwards 16 shots came from beyond the three-point line in Game 1. That really isn’t his game. It was interesting to see the star young guard struggle with aggressiveness. All said, Edwards shot 6-of-16 from the field while scoring 19 points. He did add 11 rebounds and eight assists. But Minnesota simply needs Edwards to score more if it is going to advance to the NBA Finals. That was not the case Wednesday night.
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