Dallas, TX
Timberwolves lose to Dallas in Game 3 of Western Conference finals
DALLAS – Even at the lowest point of the Timberwolves season, Anthony Edwards was remaining upbeat.
A season ago, when the Wolves fell behind the Denver Nuggets 3-0 in a playoff series, Edwards sat at his locker, head in his hands and didn’t say a word. He left without speaking to the media.
Now, a year later, his team faces another 3-0 deficit. But Edwards was trying to radiate positivity in a moment some teammates could have been sulking following a 116-107 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night in the Western Conference finals series.
To the slumping Nickeil Alexander-Walker, two lockers over from Edwards, Edwards said: “One shot at a time, ‘Kiel, it’ll fall. Just trust it.”
This came after Alexander-Walker, who can be hard on himself, had his head in his hands à la Edwards a season ago. Alexander-Walker, after a 1-for-4 shooting night, was rocking back and forth in his chair when media first entered the locker room.
Then Edwards was holding court with Mike Conley and Kyle Anderson, saying all the Wolves need is one game where everyone is clicking and they will be right back on track.
“We’re here now fellas, what are we gonna do?” Edwards said.
Then Edwards spotted the struggling Karl-Anthony Towns on the other side of the room. He wanted to hear a positive response out of Towns, who had another off night in this series with 14 points on 5-for-18 shooting, including 0-for-8 on three-pointers.
“We here now, Karl. What are we gonna do?” Edwards said.
“Make history,” Towns responded.
That they will have to do, as no NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 hole the Wolves are in after another awful stretch of late-game offense did them in against Dallas. NBA teams trailing 3-0 are 0-154 at winning series.
“We ain’t got nothing else to do. We can’t do nothing but be positive at this point,” Edwards said in his postgame news conference. “We can’t be negative. Just try to get it one win at a time.”
The Wolves had a 104-102 lead after Anderson hit a shot-clock beating jumper with five minutes to play, but the Wolves didn’t have another field goal until Edwards hit a meaningless layup with 15.3 seconds left. The Mavericks outscored them 14-3 as Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic again dominated a Wolves defense that has had no answer for the Dallas duo.
Doncic and Irving both scored 33 points.
Double-team them and make them give it up? Dallas’ supporting cast like Derrick Jones Jr. (11 points) and P.J. Washington (16 points) were hitting shots early as the Mavericks shot 50% from three-point range compared to the Wolves’ 30%.
Don’t double them and guard them straight up? Then they were hitting shots, as when Doncic hit a shot over Jaden McDaniels as he was falling down in the fourth quarter and Irving made a contested layup late in the shot clock against Edwards as part of Dallas’ closing push. The Mavericks backcourt stars were a combined 22-for-40.
“It’s been tough for us to try to navigate that,” coach Chris Finch said. “We’ve been picking our poison here a little bit.”
The problem for the Wolves is that each poison they pick has been lethal.
Edwards had 26 points on 11-for-24 shooting, and he came through with a 10-point third quarter that brought the Wolves back from an eight-point halftime deficit. He found room to attack the rim after Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively II exited because of a strained neck when his head inadvertently met Towns’ knee after he fell going for a rebound in the second quarter. But the Wolves didn’t attack as much late, and Edwards and Towns were a combined 16-for-42.
“You play into their hands when you hold the ball and you dribble out the clock and are fighting against the shot clock,” said point guard Conley, who had 16 points. “That was the issue we had a little bit tonight, where we were looking down 10, 11 seconds left on the shot clock and at that point you have to force it instead of being in an action early, playing a little bit more.”
Edwards was playing that way in the third quarter after Lively’s injury freed up space at the rim. Edwards took off for a thunderous dunk as part of a stretch when he scored six consecutive points, and the Wolves pulled ahead for the first time at 79-77 since they were ahead 5-3.
But the Wolves could never build and maintain a lead, as Irving and Doncic seemed to respond each time the Wolves got ahead. A backbreaking moment came when Washington hit a wide-open corner three to put Dallas ahead 107-104 with 3:38 left when the Wolves had what Finch called a “mental breakdown” on defense.
“We have belief against anyone. But we are our worst enemy, every time,” said center Rudy Gobert, who had nine points and six rebounds. “And it’s a great thing, but it can also be a thing that’s not great when we beat ourselves.”
The memo for the Wolves to Towns was to play more under control on Sunday after he struggled the first two games. But nothing he did worked. His reliable three-point shot has been non-existent.
“I feel every shot’s good,” Towns said. “I’ve shot a lot of basketballs in my life. I’m the first one in the gym. I definitely am working. I’m shooting. Every time I’m shooting, it feels good. I’m just having these very unfortunate bounces all the time. It’s annoying.”
Also annoying to the Wolves was the officiating, especially in the third quarter, when Dallas shot 17 free throws. That was as many as the Wolves shot in the game. (Dallas finished with 31.) The Wolves felt the Mavericks were committing the same fouls to them that they were to Dallas.
“It’s about consistency on both ends,” Conley said. “That’s all we ask for at the end of the day.”
BOXSCORE: Dallas 116, Wolves 107
That’s also what the Wolves are asking of themselves.
About the only constant, win or lose, is the positivity emanating from Edwards, who is convinced the Wolves still have a great game in them against a Dallas team that has so far figured them out.
Edwards was asked how he can keep from having a sky-is-falling attitude. It’s who he has always been, he said.
“I never seen the sky falling,” Edwards said. “I don’t know, I’m always positive, always happy. I’ve been through the worst, so the sky is never falling for me.”
Dallas, TX
Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks picks, predictions: Who wins Game 5 of 2024 NBA Finals?
What has gone wrong for the Mavericks in the Finals?
For The Win’s Evan Thorpe, Mike Sykes and Prince Grimes debate what has gone wrong for the Mavericks in the Finals.
The Boston Celtics will now try for the second time to win an NBA record 18th championship while the Mavericks will try to force the series back to Dallas when they play Game 5 Monday in Boston.
Dallas is coming off the third-biggest win in Finals history after a 38-point rout of Boston in Game 4, and the Mavericks have now outscored the Celtics in the series. Obviously more importantly, they still trail 3-1.
What is the schedule?
Game 1 Boston 107, Dallas 89
Game 2 Boston 105, Dallas 98
Game 3 Boston 106, Dallas 99
Game 4 Dallas 122, Boston 84
Game 5 Dallas at Boston, Monday, June 17, 6:30 p.m. Mountain/7:30 p.m. Central, ABC
Game 6 (if necessary) Boston at Dallas, Thursday, June 20, 6:30 p.m. Mountain/7:30 p.m. Central, ABC
Game 7 (if necessary) Dallas at Boston, Sunday, June 23, 6 p.m. Mountain/7:30 p.m. Central, ABC
Who is favored in Game 5?
Boston is a 6.5-point favorite on their home court. Boston is -286 on the money line while Dallas is +228..
Who is favored to win the series?
Boston is -3500. Dallas is +1400.
Who is favored to win MVP?
Jaylen Brown: -250
Jayson Tatum: +250
Luka Doncic: +1200
Jrue Holiday: +5000
Derrick White: +15000
Kyrie Irving: +20000
What are picks for Game 5?
Bleacher Nation: Celtics 119, Mavericks 108
ESPN: Celtics have a 70.7% chance to beat Mavericks in Game 5.
Sports Betting Dime: Celtics 121.3, Mavericks 114.3.
Odds Trader: Celtics 108, Mavericks 102.
FOX Sports: Celtics 119, Mavericks 108.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.
Dallas, TX
FC Dallas Dominates St. Louis CITY SC in Peter Luccin’s Triumphant Debut
FC Dallas took a crucial step towards recovery in the Major League Soccer (MLS) season by defeating St. Louis CITY SC 2-0. Under interim coach Peter Luccin, the Texans displayed cohesive and determined soccer, showcasing not only in their victory but also in the affirmation of talents like Jesús Ferreira and Nkosi Tafari.
The game started well for FC Dallas, as Ferreira skillfully converted a penalty in the 28th minute, putting the team ahead. This goal not only highlighted the player’s technical ability but also his importance in Luccin’s attacking setup.
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Another standout was Nkosi Tafari, whose headed goal from a corner not only reinforced his defensive capabilities but also his presence in attacking set pieces. This marked Tafari’s first goal of the regular season, adding to his five career goals for FC Dallas. His contribution exemplifies the balance Luccin seeks between defensive solidity and effectiveness in offensive opportunities.
In addition to the goals, the defense led by goalkeeper Maarten Paes deserves praise, especially for his eight crucial saves that secured the team’s fourth clean sheet of 2024.
The night also marked a historic milestone for FC Dallas, with their eighth consecutive sellout at Toyota Stadium in 2024.
Peter Luccin’s successful debut as interim coach should not be underestimated. Following in the footsteps of Colin Clarke and Marco Ferruzzi, Luccin not only proves himself a suitable choice to lead FC Dallas during this transitional period but also emerges as a legitimate candidate for permanent leadership should the positive results continue.
Dallas, TX
FC Dallas gets win over St. Louis in interim manager Peter Luccin’s debut
The first match for FC Dallas under interim manager Luccin was a rollercoaster of a win.
Last Sunday, FC Dallas announced the departure of third-year manager Nico Estévez after a start to the season that saw them second from bottom in the MLS’ Western Conference and without a singular road win.
Looking for a new manager bounce on Saturday, and their first win since May 12, FC Dallas got that with a 2-0 win over fellow Western Conference bottom dweller St. Louis City SC.
The win was far from pretty, as with just 20 minutes gone in the match, St. Louis’ midfielder Célio Pompeu suffered a gruesome ankle injury that stopped the match for multiple minutes. Pompeu left the field on a stretcher and with an air cast affixed to his foot. Both sides were visibly shaken afterward.
FC Dallas gets first win under interim manager Peter Luccin
In the 28th minute, FC Dallas’ Paul Arriola went down after a physical challenge in the St. Louis penalty area, winning a penalty kick. FCD’s Jesús Ferreira stepped up to bury the penalty past St. Louis’ Roman Bürki.
The same St. Louis defender that gave up the penalty, Joakim Nilsson, left the match in the 36th minute shortly after he pulled up with a hamstring injury.
In the second half, FCD was thoroughly outplayed by St. Louis, having to bunker in and rely on keeper Maarten Paes to make heroic save after save to keep the visitors at bay and their narrow one-goal lead intact. Through the 2024 season, Paes has been incredibly reliable in goal, despite FCD’s poor form.
Against the run of play, FC Dallas’s record-signing Petar Musa found the back of the net in the 72nd minute, only for the goal to be ruled out after a brief VAR review.
St. Louis struggled to take advantage of their stranglehold of possession for the remainder of the second half. Spurning chance after chance, with seldom opportunities coming for FCD on the break. That was until the 81st minute when FCD defender Nkosi Tafari headed in a cross for Dallas’ second goal on the evening. Tafari after scoring sprinted over to the FCD touchline and celebrated with interim manager Peter Luccin.
FC Dallas’ win on the season brings them to 17 points — one shy of St. Louis’ 18 — and more importantly, starts Luccin’s reign on a positive note.
The real test for FC Dallas will come this upcoming Wednesday when they face Minnesota United at Toyota Stadium. Minnesota is in third place in the Western Conference. The last time the two clubs matched up was former manager Estévez’s final game in charge, ending in a 1-1 draw at Allianz Field.
Find more FC Dallas coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
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