“This is their Super Bowl. It’s just a normal game for us.”
That was Kyrie Irving deflecting the pressure before Game 4, hinting the pressure was really on Minnesota to stay alive, not for Dallas to close out the series. Minnesota responded to that pressure — Anthony Edwards had his best game of the series with 29 points 10 rebounds and nine assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 25 before fouling out. The Timberwolves won Game 4 105-100 to force a Game 5 Thursday in Minnesota.
Here are the takeaways from Game 4.
How long can Minnesota extend this series?
One year ago, the Miami Heat raced out and took the first three games from the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, including the first two in the TD Garden. The Celtics responded on the road and won Game 4, then won Game 5 at home, then tied the series with a dramatic Game 6 on the road, forcing a Game 7 (which Miami won handily in Boston). The Celtics became just the fourth team in NBA history to drop the first three games of a series and force a Game 7.
Could Minnesota repeat that? Or maybe take one more step?
That’s a big ask, but it doesn’t feel as impossible after Game 4.
For it to happen it has to start with Edwards and Towns having three more games like the last one — both players showed real growth in Game 4. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving outscored Edwards and Towns by 70 points through three games. Game 4 went to the Timberwolves duo by 10. To have a chance, that trend has to continue.
Ant and KAT lead the way on the road to force a Game 5 back in Minnesota! 🐺🐺
— NBA (@NBA) May 29, 2024
Edwards: 29 PTS, 10 REB, 9 AST
Towns: 25 PTS (9-13 FGM), 5 REB, 4 3PM
Game 5 tips Thursday at 8:30pm/et on TNT 🍿 pic.twitter.com/1Akarqib5l
Towns had struggled to find his footing all series and shot poorly. Edwards was driving into a wall of collapsed Mavericks in the paint, and the 22-year-old’s deficiencies as a playmaker right now were exposed. In Game 4, Edwards was finding those teammates, and they were knocking down shots; it’s how he ended up with nine assists. Meanwhile, Towns was 3-of-4 from 3 in the fourth quarter with 10 points in the frame on Tuesday.
For Minnesota to make a comeback, those two have to have three more games like this or better.
The Timberwolves also got a little lucky — shots the Mavericks knocked down in the clutch for three games did not fall in the fourth. Dallas was 3-of-12 from 3 in the fourth with Luka Doncic missing the step-backs he had been nailing (1-of-5 shooting in the fourth). P.J. Washington seems to hit every clutch shot for three games but was 1-of-4 from 3 in the fourth quarter of Game 4. Irving was 3-of-7 shooting in the fourth.
Can Minnesota’s stars do that three more times? Probably not, but it feels like we’ve got a series on our hands now.
Dallas missed Lively. A lot.
Maxi Kleber tried, but in his first game back after a month of rehabbing a dislocated shoulder, he was rusty and hesitant to shoot the rock. Dwight Powell is not the answer.
Daniel Gafford played a solid 31 minutes for the Mavericks, but they missed the athleticism, rim protection, scoring and passing Lively brought at center minutes off the bench. He was out as part of concussion protocol and with a sprained neck (after getting kneed in the head by Towns in Game 3) and his status for Game 4 is up in the air. Lively told Marc Spears of ESPN’s Andscape he is day-to-day.
Lively has been Dallas’ best rim protector and when he is on the court Edwards and company have been more hesitant to attack the paint. If Dallas is going to close out this series, it needs Lively back.
Edwards promises Micah Parsons new shoes for Game 6
It’s a long-running NBA tradition for players in the Timberwolves’ position to tell the Dallas-based locker room attendants (or security, or whoever) they will see them for Game 6.
Anthony Edward took that one more step.
He saw Cowboys star linebacker Michah Parsons in the hallway wearing a pair of his AE1s and promised to bring him a new pair of shoes for Game 6.
Q: "Ant you told somebody in the hall you'd see them for game 6, where does that confidence come from"
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) May 29, 2024
Ant: "Micah Parsons was rockin' the AE1 and I told him he wear a size 14 I'd bring him back some nice shoes for game 6" pic.twitter.com/lkOxuHqbcU
Anthony Edwards is going to be the best face of the NBA. Ignore the PR training they are going to try and give you, just be yourself.
