Timberwolves Triumph Over Mavericks in Thrilling Game 4 of NBA Finals

Anthony Edwards’ positive attitude and strong confidence, even against tough challenges, helped the Minnesota Timberwolves win at least one game in the Western Conference of NBA Finals.

Edwards’ positive attitude even influenced Timberwolves All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns. After struggling in the first three games of the series, Towns stepped up and delivered a strong performance in Game 4.

Edwards, Towns, and the Timberwolves avoided a sweep against the Dallas Mavericks with a 105-100 win in Game 4 on Tuesday night.

Edwards scored 29 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and made nine assists, while Towns added 25 points.

The Timberwolves are now 3-0 in elimination games in the 2024 playoffs.

We’ve been a resilient team all year,” said Minnesota coach Chris Finch. “We never lost three in a row until the playoffs, and we never lost four in a row. The guys always respond. It’s a fun team to coach because they believe they can win no matter what.

Game 5 is on Thursday in Minneapolis, where the Mavericks won the first two games of the series. If Minnesota wins and makes it a 3-2 series, it will put pressure on Dallas to close out the series at home in Game 6. The Mavericks will want to avoid a Game 7 on the road.

Coming back from a 3-0 deficit is a huge challenge. No team has ever done it to win a series in the NBA finals playoffs, and only four teams have even forced a Game 7.

But that won’t change Edwards’ mindset. “What am I supposed to say? That we’re going to lose Game 5 in NBA finals? No, I’ll never say that,” Edwards said.

The Timberwolves didn’t play a perfect game, with their 15 turnovers leading to 30 points for Dallas. However, Towns had his best game of the series, despite fouling out and getting his fifth foul in the third quarter.

Before Game 4, he was shooting just 27.8% from the field and 13.6% on 3-pointers. But he improved to 9-for-13 and 4-for-5 in this win. Towns scored 20 points in the second half, with 10 points each in the third and fourth quarters.

KAT’s a fantastic player,” Finch praised. “His struggles weren’t going to last forever. Even when he got into deep foul trouble, he found his rhythm. There was a moment I thought about taking him out, but then he got fouled, so we kept him in.

We just let him roll. He played smart, stayed composed, rebounded exceptionally well, executed plays, and held it down defensively. I’m really proud of him. He’s been a key part of every series until now, and we knew we needed him in this series. Tonight was a big step forward for that.

The Timberwolves made 52.7% of their shots from the field and 45.8% from beyond the arc. When shots are falling, both individual players and the team as a whole appear much stronger.

The Timberwolves managed to maintain their lead late in the fourth quarter. Which they struggled to do in the previous three series. A 3-pointer by Towns increased Minnesota’s lead to 98-92 with just 2 minutes and 54 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

Then, Edwards sealed the deal with another 3-pointer. Which extending the Timberwolves’ lead to 102-97 with just 39.7 seconds left on the clock.

Despite the Minnesota Timberwolves having the best defense in the regular season. The Dallas Mavericks were limited to shooting just 42% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc.

Even though All-NBA guard Luka Doncic managed a triple-double with 28 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, it wasn’t enough for the Mavericks. Adding to their challenges, the Mavericks were without their injured All-Rookie center Dereck Lively II. Who was sidelined with a sprained neck.