Minnesota Timberwolves vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 23/05/2024, 06:03  by Devesh Jaganath | Modified on 23/05/2024 at 06:03 in NBA Predictions

The NBA Western Conference final will continue on Firday night with the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves set to clash in Game 2 at the Target Center. The Mavericks lead the series 1-0. 

While the Mavericks may not be the favorites in yet another series, they managed to steal home-court advantage from the Minnesota Timberwolves with a strong start to the Western Conference finals. Kyrie Irving exploded with 24 points in the first half to keep Dallas in the game. After halftime, Luka Doncic took over, scoring 15 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Mavericks to a 108-105 victory on Wednesday night in Minneapolis. Dallas shot 49.7% (43 of 87) from the field and outscored Minnesota 26-22 in the fourth quarter to secure the three-point win. However, the Mavericks struggled with a significant disparity in perimeter shooting and unforced errors, resulting in turnovers during the first half, which favored the Timberwolves. Despite their strong second-half performance, the Mavericks need to address these issues, knowing that Minnesota can be a formidable shooting team when in form.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves struggled to match their opponents’ intensity for the full 48 minutes in Game 1, and it was evident that their comeback win over the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of the conference semi-finals had drained a lot of their energy. Jaden McDaniels led the Timberwolves with 24 points, hitting 6 of 9 attempts from beyond the arc. Anthony Edwards contributed 19 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 16 points. As a team, Minnesota shot just 42.7% (38 of 89) from the field and seemed a step behind the Mavericks for most of the game. However, they excelled in three-point shooting, an advantage they must capitalize on to even the series before heading to Texas. Additionally, the tight defense that stifled the Nuggets was absent in Game 1. Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and his teammates need to step up, or the Timberwolves risk falling behind 2-0 in the series.