After suffering a third straight loss to fall to 0-3 in the Western Conference Finals, the Minnesota Timberwolves will attempt to avoid elimination against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 on Tuesday evening.
Chris Finch’s team isn’t far from competing in this series, as evidenced by the margins of defeat, but the Mavericks have executed much better in clutch situations and it's cost the Timberwolves.
Minnesota took a 104-102 with just over five minutes to go in Game 3 but proceeded to go over four minutes without a field goal and were outscored 14-3 down the stretch en route to a frustrating 116-107 loss.
There are plenty of reasons why the Timberwolves’ offense has sputtered at times in this series including Karl-Anthony Towns' lackluster productions. The All-Star big man has averaged just 15.0 points per game on an abysmal 3-of-22 shooting from 3-point territory.
Two things the Timberwolves desperately needed in this series — KAT’s shooting and team defense — have abandoned them. Now they’re on the brink of elimination https://t.co/vvlsESxr5G
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) May 27, 2024
Anthony Edwards increased his production with a team-high 26 points, nine assists, and nine rebounds in Game 3. However, Towns struggled all night long and finished 0-of-8 from beyond the arc for the first time in his career.
In order for the Timberwolves to extend the series with a win in Game 4, Towns needs to return to form with an efficient shooting performance and the late-game execution must improve on both ends of the floor.
Mavericks superstar duo Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving have continued to create issues for Minnesota’s defense. Containing them by blitzing the pick-and-roll or trapping to force other players to step up will be key.
The Timberwolves obviously have an uphill climb to get back into the series since teams are 0-156 in NBA history after trailing 3-0. But a victory at Dallas in Game 4 could go a long way in potentially shifting momentum.