The Dallas Mavericks proved steadier in the clutch against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first three games of this Western Conference Finals series.
With their season on the line, Anthony Edwards and Karl Anthony-Towns flipped the script.
Edwards recorded a near triple-double, Towns drained clutch shots late and the Timberwolves dodged elimination with a 105-100 Game 4 win over the Mavericks, forcing a Game 5 back in Minnesota.
hard fought W. pic.twitter.com/B4S8sqNVKZ
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 29, 2024
With their season on the line, Edwards came up big with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists as his key jumper from the left wing gave the Wolves a 102-97 lead with 38.8 seconds in regulation.
ANT-MAN. CLUTCH.
— NBA (@NBA) May 29, 2024
Timberwolves go back up 5 with 38.8 seconds to play as they look to force Game 5.
📺 TNT pic.twitter.com/pHg1foj8cW
Towns finally broke out of his shooting slump and added 25 points, including 20 in the second half, as his back-to-back threes turned a 90-89 deficit to a 95-90 Wolves advantage in the fourth.
Kyrie hits the middy. Towns answers with back-to-back triples.
— NBA (@NBA) May 29, 2024
Heating up in the 4Q... MIN leads 95-90 🔥
DAL leads series 3-0 pic.twitter.com/0GbNFjuMg0
KAT then connected on a clutch triple on the right wing to extend Minnesota’s lead at 98-92, before Edwards added another one to make it 100-92 with 1:47 seconds left.
TOWNS HITS ANOTHER. 4/4 FROM DEEP.
— NBA (@NBA) May 29, 2024
Wolves lead by 6 as they attempt to force Game 5 on TNT! pic.twitter.com/5nVM2cViRn
Ant beats the shot clock to put Minnesota up 8!
— NBA (@NBA) May 29, 2024
Less than two minutes to play on TNT... Dallas leads series 3-0. pic.twitter.com/cFPF5y9Rdi
Earlier, Towns appeared to be finding a rhythm, scoring 10 points in the first seven minutes of the third quarter before picking up his fifth foul. The former no.1 pick fouled out late after a shooting foul on Luka Doncic.
Dallas cut the lead to three,100-97, off a ridiculous Doncic and-one three-pointer but missed the free-throw. Naz Reid then sealed the win with an easy lay-up.
RIDICULOUS.
— NBA (@NBA) May 29, 2024
28/14/10 for Doncic as they trail by 3 on TNT https://t.co/IXvJf09qrB pic.twitter.com/Hy6Ku83n1h
Naz Reid scoop to go up 5!
— NBA (@NBA) May 29, 2024
11.3 remaining on TNT pic.twitter.com/BNohb77bWy
Mike Conley chipped 14 points while Rudy Gobert had a double-double with 13 markers and 10 boards.
The Timberwolves started strong, leading by as many as 12 points and finally executed when it mattered the most to clinch their first Conference Finals win in 20 years.
Meanwhile, Doncic had 28 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in his sixth triple-double of these playoffs while Kyrie Irving added 16 but shot 6-of-18 from the field.
With the loss, Irving suffered his first loss in 15 closeout games in his career.
Jaden Hardy added 13 points while Daniel Gafford and P.J Washington combined for 22.
The Mavericks missed the services of rookie big man Dereck Lively, who sat out with a strained neck, and lost for the first time this series after winning the first three.
Game 5 of the series heads back to Minnesota on Friday, May 31, 8:30 a.m. LIVE on One Sports, NBA TV Philippines, RPTV, and the Pilipinas Live app.
