Before the Conference Finals showdown between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks, nobody expected the latter to come out as the more dominant team. NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith shared that observation and declared that the Anthony Edwards-led team is done for in their series.
Minnesota surprised everyone in 2022 when they acquired All-Star center Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz for a significant package. This led mostly everyone to criticize the deal as the front office gave up a lot of assets to get the French big man.
While Gobert’s first run with the team didn’t yield solid playoffs results, the same can’t be said this year. The Timberwolves managed to capture the third seed, eliminated both Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns and Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets in the first and second round, respectively. Along the way, All-Star guard Anthony Edwards shot up in popularity as he led Minnesota to its best performance in decades.
However, their momentum was cut short by Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. With their opponents on the verge of eliminating them, all hope is about to be lost for the once-promising squad in this year’s playoffs.
Stephen A. Smith Says Minnesota Timberwolves Look Defeated Against Dallas Mavericks
Unlike their earlier showdowns in the postseason, the Timberwolves are now looking way different than they did several weeks ago. NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith goes a bit further by saying in a video posted by NBA on ESPN’s official X account that Minnesota already looks defeated by the Mavericks.
“Minnesota looks defeated. … They cannot stop Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.”@stephenasmith says nobody could have seen the Mavs taking a 3-0 lead over the Wolves 😂 pic.twitter.com/ZE9rm8oGKf
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 27, 2024
As it stands, both Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns have been ineffective against Dallas in their series so far. Edwards, on the other hand, hasn’t been successful in containing either Kyrie Irving or Doncic. Instead, the All-Star shooting guard appeared to be exhausted in their series against the Mavericks. These factors have contributed to the Wolves’ current predicament and a potential elimination at the hands of the Mavs.
With only one game needed for them to be eliminated, the odds are certainly against Edwards and the Timberwolves. It’s going to take a miracle for them to become the first time in playoff history a team climbed back up from a 0-3 hole and win the entire series. Otherwise, it’s shaping up to be a battle between Dallas and the Boston Celtics in the Finals.
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