Highlights
- The Dallas Mavericks once again showcased their resiliency by coming back from an 18-point deficit.
- The Mavericks had every reason to start the bus early, but fought until the end.
- The result? They are now two wins away from the NBA Finals.
Luka Dončić will get most of the spotlight for lifting the Dallas Mavericks to a commanding 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals after he drilled an absolute dagger into the hearts of the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2. What will be overlooked is the fact that the Mavericks needed to claw back from an 18-point first half deficit before Luka Magic came through in the clutch.
Mavs head coach Jason Kidd gave credit to the Timberwolves, who stormed right out of the gates and gave Dallas early haymakers in the first half.
“We were competing. Minnesota is a really good team, well-coached. And they came out and they were aggressors. They took advantage of us.” -Jason Kidd
Mavericks Showcased Resiliency Once Again
Another second half rally from Dallas
Kidd and the Mavericks likely expected the Timberwolves to come out swinging in Game 2 after they dropped the series-opener on their home floor. That’s exactly what they did as Minnesota came out guns blazing. They shot 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from beyond the arc, with Sixth Man of the Year winner Naz Reid going 4-of-4.
The Mavs, meanwhile, struggled from the field. They shot just 39.1 percent and made just 4-of-14 from downtown. Nonetheless, the Mavericks were able to regroup at halftime and, as they have done all season and playoffs long, they came together and were able to storm back with a furious rally in the second half.
“We talked about it at halftime, we worked the game, we trusted one another, and we found a way to win on the road.” -Kidd
As a team with homecourt disadvantage in the playoffs, the goal is to get at least one on the road. The Mavericks already got the job done in Game 1. But with the way they fought back, they were clearly not satisfied with getting just one.
The Mavs rallied back in the second half and completely turned the tide on the Timberwolves. They torched the nets after the intermission, shooting over 60 percent from the field after the break and, on the other end, they shut down Minnesota to just 38.9 percent field goal shooting.
The Mavs Fought Until The End
Dallas had every reason to pack it up
The Mavericks could have folded several times in this game. After they went down by 18 in the first half, things could have easily gone out of hand, especially in that hostile Target Center environment. But as noted, Dallas doesn’t seem to know how to quit in the postseason.
Down the stretch, things looked bleak for the Mavs. They found themselves trailing by five with under two minutes left in the game. But again, the word “quit” doesn’t seem to be in the vocabulary of the Mavericks.
“Just the trust, the calmness of the group. We could’ve easily just gotten on the bus after [Irving] miss the two freethrows. But again, we believe in our defense. We got stops. We give a lot of credit to our bench for keeping the energy in a positive way, keeping those guys up.” – Jason Kidd
Kyrie Irving, a 90.5 percent freethrow shooter this season, missed two crucial freebies with 1:44 remaining in the fourth quarter. Anthony Edwards later made two freethrows to extend Minnesota’s lead to five with 1:29 left. Dallas could have easily packed it up after this discouraging stretch.
But with two of the best shotmakers in Irving and Doncic on their team, paired with an elite group of defensive dogs, the Mavericks found a way to come out on top and are now two wins away from the NBA Finals.
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