A late one-point victory in a tight Western Conference final between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves shouldn't come as a surprise. That the Mavericks escaped Minnesota 2-0 is another story.
Dallas rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit to take Game 2 109-108 thanks to Luka Doncic's brilliant 3-pointer over center Rudy Gobert with three seconds remaining that silenced the home crowd. The Timberwolves had one final possession, but Naz Reid's 26-footer missed and now the Mavericks will travel back to Dallas with a commanding lead in the series.
“I can't move fast, but I can move faster than him,” Doncic said of his shot on Gobert during his postgame interview on TNT.
With his three wins over the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Doncic finished with a game-high 32 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists to record the eighth triple-double of his playoff career.
The Mavericks trailed by as many as 16 points in the third quarter, but methodically cut Minnesota's lead thanks to the play of Doncic and the clutch shooting of guard Kyrie Irving, who was 4 of 7 from 3 in the game.
Reid led the Wolves with 23 points as Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns struggled again; the duo combined to shoot 9-of-33.
Dallas returns home with a chance to close out the series and reach the NBA Finals, despite outscoring Minnesota by just four points in the first two games. The Timberwolves' comeback attempt will begin Sunday in Game 3.
Our NBA experts break down Doncic's clutch shot, the Timberwolves' chances of getting back into the series and the biggest takeaways from a memorable Game 2.
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Luka: I have all the confidence in the world
Luka Doncic gives his instant reaction to his game-winning triple for the Mavs to seal Game 2.
1. Luka's step back winning 3 over Gobert was ______.
Ramona Shelburne: Creating a legacy, both for him and for Gobert. While it was an incredible clutch shot by Doncic, it was also ammunition for all of Gobert's detractors (See: Green, Draymond) who point out that the Defensive Player of the Year can be a problem when he switches to a perimeter player. Of course, you can also question the defensive strategy of changing everything with Gobert on the court. Instead, the Wolves saw Doncic put Gobert on skates to win.
Andrés López: Excellent, but expected. Watching Doncic in tough situations, you're starting to get to the point where you expect him to make tough shots no matter what and no matter who's in front of him. It's amazing to think that he just turned 25 in February because of the way he carries himself in moments of pressure. As soon as he made the switch, you felt like the shot was going to go in even though you had missed his other two attempts in the fourth quarter.
Brian Windhorst: Let's use Doncic's own words on the court after his winning game: “You can't defend me.” At that point, it was the slower Gobert against Doncic's expert footwork. As TNT's Shaquille O'Neal would say, “BBQ chicken.”
2. What is your biggest takeaway from Game 2?
Shelburne: The Mavericks weren't perfect in this game, but for the second game in a row they showed much more poise than the Timberwolves when it mattered. Minnesota should probably just clean the tape of their critical turnovers down the stretch. People are going to point out the poor shooting performances of Wolves stars Edwards and Towns, but Reid and Mike Conley did enough to make up for Minnesota and win the game if they hadn't made so many unforced errors.
Lopez: As much as Doncic seemingly struggled to get going until late in the fourth quarter due to his various injuries, the Mavericks were able to pull through thanks to Irving's play. Doncic is clearly not at 100 (pain in his left ankle and sprained right knee are among his ailments) despite scoring the winning goal. But when Doncic rested, Irving stepped up. After just seven points in the first three quarters, Irving scored 13 in the fourth quarter with four 3-pointers, including with 1:05 left to cut the Wolves' lead to two.
Wind horst: Edwards is going through a rough patch at the worst time. His unforced turnover with 12.8 seconds left was a crucial mistake. But he's really in a slump, shooting just 30 for 90 over the last five games. Unlike Game 1, when he settled for three-pointers, he attacked the basket and forced action on Friday. But as one of the league's best finishers, 70% in the restricted area during the regular season, Edwards was ineffective against Dallas' size.
3 . The Wolves' 0-2 deficit for the first time in these playoffs is ____.
Shelburne: What it looks like when a young team experiences growing pains in real time. As disappointing as these two games have been for Wolves, I'm not willing to write them off. Not after winning Games 6 and 7 against the defending champion Denver Nuggets after three straight losses in the final round. Edwards has struggled in this series. I think the demands of defending Irving, plus the energy Minnesota needs from him offensively, are wearing him down. He even needed oxygen in the fourth quarter of Game 2, but I've seen enough of Edwards this season to know that he will never lack confidence or energy when his team needs it.
Lopez: Distressing. It looked like Reid was going to save the day after hitting seven 3-pointers and leading Minnesota in the second half, but he couldn't get his eighth 3-pointer to fall as time expired. Towns and Edwards combined to go 9 for 33 in a one-possession game at home. This was after going 12-for-36 in a one-possession game at home in Game 1. Both games were there for the taking. Minnesota has recovered from the brink before, but to do so again, both players will have to make big strides in Games 3 and 4 in Dallas.
Wind horst: Regret. That's what the Wolves felt in the locker room after the game. Ant for billing. Gobert for not getting the final stop. To coach Chris Finch for not using one of his two remaining timeouts. Towns for not having a better game. Two losses by one possession, a lot of agony.
