The Timberwolves and Mavericks play tonight at Target Center in Game 2 of their Western Conference Finals playoff series. Dallas won the opener on Wednesday. Staff writer Chris Hine provides live updates:
Follow up-to-the-minute stats and play-by-play instantly in GameView.
8:35pm: Wolves lead by 18 and take control at half-time
The Wolves led by 18 several times in the second quarter, but they couldn’t extend it from there and allowed Dallas to cut it to 12 at halftime, 60-48.
The Wolves gave Anthony Edwards a little extra rest early in the second quarter thanks to some shotmaking from Mike Conley and Naz Reed.
Reed was on fire in the first half and had 12 points on 4-of-4 from the three-point line, while Conley was 5-of-8 in the first half for 12 points, including a pair of threes. The Wolves were on a 17-6 run late in the first quarter and early in the second quarter, pushing it into double digits for the first time on the night. Edwards had to rest the first five minutes of the second quarter instead of coming on three minutes later, as he has done several times this postseason.
When he checked back in, he hit a 3 to put the Wolves up 55-37. The Wolves’ defense was able to limit Dallas to just 38 percent from the floor. Kyrie Irving was just 2-for-8 after a dismal first half. But Dallas scored six straight points late in the quarter to cut the Wolves’ lead to 12. Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns shot 3-for-11 from the field in the first half.
8:01 pm: Ants strike early, KAT in foul trouble after one over
Anthony Edwards promised a more energetic performance in Game 2 after not having much energy in Game 1. Although Edwards struggled to shoot from the field, he had 10 points as he led the Wolves to a 32-26 lead. Leg.
He started the night by hitting the rim early, not something the Wolves did very often on Wednesday. He was just 2-for-7 from the floor, but he was 5-for-6 from the free-throw line.
The Wolves also wanted to have a more focused team, but with 34 seconds left in the game, they had to burn a timeout when there was no one to join point guard Mike Conley for an inbounds pass. Dallas also scored on its first possession of the night on an easy lob from Luka Doncic to Daniel Gafford. The Wolves bounced back from there the rest of the quarter.
Donczyk got the Mavericks off to a hot start with nine first-quarter points. The Wolves again lost Karl-Anthony Towns in early foul trouble, as he picked up two fouls on one possession with 7:178 to play after a 1-for-5 start on the night.
Naz Red came off the bench to score six points as the Wolves shot 10-of-24 from the floor. They did their damage in transition with nine fast-break points.
Pregame, 6:04 p.m.: Wolves expect better energy level
The Timberwolves are 3-3 at home this postseason, and if you go back two seasons to include previous playoff runs, the Wolves are 5-6 at home.
In the previous series against Denver, coach Chris Finch said the distractions of being at home, where family and friends can have a big impact on players’ daily lives, could be a reason for the Wolves’ struggles.
Before Game 2 against Dallas, Rudy Gobert said players need to set boundaries when it comes to their time and energy.
“We have to find ways to be better,” Gobert said. “I think sometimes at home you have too much noise, too many distractions. Everybody wants to be a part of it. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell the guys. Tell your people about boundaries and that you’re trying to accomplish something. When it’s over, if we want to celebrate, now, We need recovery, we need peace of mind.”
Gobert said she sacrifices time with her newborn son to help her work and recover as much as she needs.
Some players on the team, like Anthony Edwards, complained about the team’s energy level after Game 1, noting that they didn’t have the same kind of jump late in the Denver series.
“He admitted the other night that he was tired,” Finch said. “He deserves to play a game like that once in a while.”
Asked if the team was feeling better, Gobert said: “Game 1 is behind us. We didn’t play the way we know we can play. Tonight is a new opportunity for us to do better on both ends.”
