With the exit of the Denver Nuggets in the NBA playoffs, the basketball world will witness a fifth different team raise the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy in five years.
The last four remain, and it’s the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves who are the last standing in the West. The Mavs showed grit and grind to get past the No. 1 team in the West, the OKC Thunder, in six games, while the Timberwolves, against all odds, defeated the defending champions, the Denver Nuggets, on the road to advance to the WCF.
There is a lot to unpack for the upcoming series between the Mavs and the Wolves, so read more below as SBOTOP provides an in-depth preview of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
Talking Points
Minnesota’s deep roster
Minnesota’s seven-game series against the Nuggets was a weird one. It looked like the most lopsided playoff series that went to seven games, thanks to the point differential in each match.
The series seemed like it was done and dusted when Minnesota won two straight in Denver, then it took a turn when Denver won three straight. The pendulum swung to Minnesota once again when they defeated the Nuggets by 45 points in Game 6, and ultimately, it appeared like the Nuggets had the Wolves in a chokehold when they were up by 20 points in the third during Game 7 in Denver.
It was nothing short of cinematic, as the last half of the series was decided not by the likes of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, or even Anthony Edwards, but by the supporting cast of the Timberwolves.
The depth of Chris Finch’s squad became the X factor to get them past the defending champions in front of roaring crowd at Ball Arena.
With Anthony Edwards having his worst shooting performance of the series, it was the likes of Jaden McDaniels, Karl-Anthony Towns, and other Wolves players who were the main catalysts for the Wolves to climb back from a 20-point deficit to earn their spot in the Western Conference finals for the first time in 20 years.
That Game 7 win didn’t only propel the Wolves to the WFC; it also rewrote KAT’s legacy in Minnesota and proved that Anthony Edwards is undoubtedly a top-5 player in the league.
Who will step up for Dallas?
It’s no question that the duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving is capable of putting up NBA 2024 highlights on a nightly basis. Either of these players can carry the Mavs to a win against any team in the league, and they sure are two of the best closers the game has ever seen, but the question remains: who else can Dallas rely on?
We saw flashes of P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II dominating in the paint against OKC, but it was against a rookie in Chet Holmgren and an undersized Jalen Williams at the four. Can they replicate that performance against the likes of KAT, Naz Reid, and DPOY Rudy Gobert?
To Jason Kidd’s defence, he has shown that he’s one of the best head coaches in the league when it comes to in-game adjustments, and it also helps that his roster boasts a plethora of athletic specimens that can adjust on the fly.
Whether it be Derrick Jones Jr. hitting threes like he’s Ray Allen incarnate, PJ Washington getting to work early in the paint, or even the return of their sparkplug Tim Hardaway Jr., the bottom line is that Irving and Doncic will need to have their supporting cast on their A game right from the get-go up until the final possession of the series.
History
The Minnesota Timberwolves have bossed their four-game season series with the Dallas Mavericks, winning all but one game against the Texan side. The only Mavs win in the season against Minnesota was on January 7, when both Kyrie and Luka exploded for 35 and 34 points, respectively, while Tim Hardaway Jr. and Derrick Jones Jr. chipped in 12 points each to complete their 115-108 win.
However, it was the Wolves who were victorious during their regular season finale with a 121-87 win over the Dallas Mavericks. KAT was the best player on the court that night, tallying 29 points and nine rebounds. It also helped that both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving were in street clothes for that game.
What are the odds?
The Wolves are the first to play host to the Western Conference finals. With home advantage and momentum on their side, the NBA 2024 betting odds place them as the 1.58 favourites to win Game 1, while the visiting Mavericks are 2.42 underdogs at Target Center. The even line for their over-unders is 207.00 at 1.94 and 1.92. Both squads can put big numbers up on the board, but as the playoffs progress, the more intense the defence gets, so punters should keep this in mind.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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