The Dallas Mavericks will face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday in Game 2 of the Western Conference, where Dallas will look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead.
The Mavericks have been led this postseason by guard Luka Doncic, who was recently named to the All-NBA First Team, with averages of 27.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, nine assists, and 1.5 steals per game during the team’s 13 playoff games.
Dallas will come into Game 2 with their first 1-0 series lead since head coach Jason Kidd took over in 2021, with Kidd joking on Thursday that having an early series lead was “new to everyone.”
“But again, this time of the year, it’s about winning, so we found a way to win on the road, and now we got to figure out how to win tomorrow night,” he added.
Although Dallas struggled to shoot the ball in Game 2, shooting just 24% from behind the three-point line, the Mavericks scored 62 points in the paint to help guide them to victory.
The Mavericks leaned on their dynamic duo of Doncic and guard Kyrie Irving in Game 1. The pair combined for 63 points while shooting 48.9% from the floor.
The most impressive aspect of their victory came from their rebounding and defense. The team outrebounded one of the biggest teams in the league while giving up just 105 total points, which is significantly less than the Timberwolves’ average of 113 points per game during the regular season.
Mavericks center Daniel Gafford spoke about the team’s commitment to both sides of the game, saying their “defense fuels [their] offense,” noting that Dallas must come prepared to do the same since the Timberwolves will give them their best shot in Game 2.
“They’re going to come out live, and they’re going to come out a lot more physical, and we just have to be ready for that and just be prepared to really just take that first blow,” he said.
A win in Game 2 will give the Mavericks a 2-0 series lead for the first time since the 2020-2021 season when they eventually lost in the opening round to the Los Angeles Clippers in seven games.
Regardless of the outcome in Game 2, the Mavericks stole the home-court advantage with their Game 1 win and will be traveling back to Dallas for Game 3, which will be on Sunday in American Airlines Center at 7 p.m.
