The Dallas Mavericks have a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals after a 109-108 Game 2 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, punctuated by Luka Doncic's game-winning step-back 3-pointer over Rudy Gobert with three seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The Timberwolves led by as many as 18 points before Dallas launched a massive second-half comeback.
In total, Doncic dropped 32 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds. He was aided by Kyrie Irving's 20 points, who went 4 for 7 from 3-point range. The series now shifts to Dallas for Game 3, which is set for Sunday.
Minnesota seemed to run out of gas after halftime, with Anthony Edwards scoring just eight of his 21 points in the second half. Karl-Anthony Towns was a non-factor offensively, scoring 15 points on 4-for-16 shooting. He was benched down the stretch, partly because of his subpar play, but also because Naz Reid was scorching hot, going 7-for-9 from 3-point range en route to 23 points. He was unable to hit the biggest shot of the night, however, as his potential game-winning 3-pointer rimmed out as the buzzer sounded.
Here are a few takeaways from Friday's Game 2.
What to do with Luka?
There's going to be a lot of discussion about Doncic's game-winner, specifically as to why Gobert was in the game if the Wolves planned on switching all screens. The scheme allowed Doncic to get a one-on-one matchup with the seven-footer, and we all saw how it played out. Doncic felt no intimidation from the four-time Defensive Player of the Year, making what amounts to a practice shot for him under the most pressurized of circumstances -- accompanied by some choice expletives.
After the game, Doncic was asked if he was surprised the Wolves elected to switch on the play.
"I was, a little bit, yeah, actually," Doncic said. "I think they were going like, just no 3s. So, he tried to stay up. But I saw the space, and get to my spot. ... I mean, he's long enough. He can't move -- I can't move fast, but I can move faster than him."
It's easy to say that the Wolves should have trapped Doncic off of the screen, or that Gobert shouldn't have been in the game at all for that possession, but they were throwing different looks at Doncic all night with little success. When the blitz came, Doncic patiently waited for the right cut or open 3-pointer, then executed pinpoint passes.
When Gobert (or one of the other bigs) dropped in the pick-and-roll, Doncic got his defender on his hip and forced the big to choose between contesting him or guarding against the lob.
There's just no easy answer against a guy this good, but at times there seemed to be confusion from the Wolves while they were giving Doncic different looks. Perhaps in Game 3 they'll choose a default coverage and use that more consistently, sporadically throwing wrinkles at Doncic to keep him off guard.
Ant running on fumes
It's hard to imagine a 22-year-old in peak physical condition getting fatigued, but what Anthony Edwards has been asked to do on both ends of the court for three playoff rounds is clearly taking a toll. In consecutive series, he's had to guard Kevin Durant/Devin Booker, Jamal Murray and now Kyrie Irving. Just reading those names elicits hyperventilation.
Edwards denied it after the game, but there was a report that he received oxygen when he was subbed out of the game in the fourth quarter. He struggled getting to the rim, and when he was able to break through he was met by one of the Dallas bigs -- Daniel Gafford or Dereck Lively -- which made finishing a difficult proposition. Edwards went just 2-of-8 in the paint on Friday night.
He also admitted to "turning down a lot of shots," particularly in the midrange. Edwards made it sound like he's trying to make the right play within the offense, but he also looks like his legs just aren't there on his shot. The rising star entered the series shooting 50% from the floor and 40% from 3-point range during the postseason, and in two conference finals games he's now 11-for-33 (33%) from the field and 7-of-19 (37%) from 3-point range.
The Wolves need Ant to be superhuman -- and he has been so far in the playoffs -- but he's going to need to dig deep into an extra reserve to bring his team out of this 0-2 hole.
Twin towers
It's hard to overstate how crucial the center combo of Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II has been for the Mavericks this postseason. Friday may have been their best performance yet, as they combined for 30 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks (all from Gafford), while wreaking havoc on both ends of the floor. Their length defensively protected the paint from the Wolves' penetration, particularly in the second half, and they repeatedly caught lobs from Doncic and Irving when their man stepped up to help.
The duo combined for 11(!) dunks on the night.
The skill sets of the big men are so similar that it's like one energized, athletic center on the floor at all times for Dallas -- especially with stretch-five option Maxi Kleber sidelined. The fit of Gafford and Lively in Dallas has been seamless, and they may get the franchise to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011.
