After the Dallas Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-107 in Game 3, a reporter asked Anthony Edwards why he remained optimistic about getting back into the series.
“I never think the sky is falling. I’m always positive, always happy,” Edwards continues. “Been through the worst, so the sky is never falling for me.”
”I never think the sky is falling. I’m always positive. I’m always happy. I’ve been through the worst, so the sky is never falling for me.”
Anthony Edwards on his positive mindset
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— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 27, 2024
The Wolves are down 3-0 to Dallas following Sunday’s night loss. No team in NBA history has ever gone down 3-0 in a series and advanced. Minnesota held a fourth-quarter lead for the third consecutive time before the Mavericks came back to win with their excellent shot-making. Still, despite the loss and the odds, the Timberwolves can take some positives from an otherwise dismal night in Dallas.
The critical segment of the game came after a Kyle Anderson push shot gave the Wolves a 104-102 lead with 5:05 to go in the fourth quarter. The Mavericks responded quickly on the other end with Kyrie Irvin’s incredible left-handed layup. The Wolves called timeout with the game tied 104-104 with 4:30 to go.
Naz Reid missed a three out of the timeout, and Edwards corralled the rebound. Eventually, the ball ended up in Anderson’s hands. Up until this point, Anderson was a perfect 5 of 5 from the field. However, Anderson missed a fading jump shot, and the Mavericks took advantage of a miscommunication between Conley and Edwards. P.J. Washington hit a wide open for a corner three, giving Dallas a 107-104 lead.
Reid hit 1 of 2 free throws on the other end before Luka Doncic traveled and turned the ball over. The Wolves called timeout to sub in their starters with 3:07 to go. Out of the timeout, Conley missed a tough three-point shot at the end of the shot clock before Doncic hit a huge turnaround fadeaway on Jaden McDaniels to extend the lead to four.
That shot effectively ended the game. Edwards missed a layup on the following possession, forcing a jump ball, then tipped it to Derrick Jones Jr. McDaniels stole the ball back, and Towns missed a three-pointer. Irving extended the lead to six on a tough falling away two-point shot. On the ensuing Wolves possession, Dallas blocked Mike Conley on a layup. The Doncic hit Daniel Gafford for an alley-oop plus the foul to make it a nine-point game with 34 seconds left.
Towns missed another three, finishing the night 0 of 8 from distance. Irving made a couple of free throws, and Edwards finally ended a 3:06 scoring drought for the Wolves. With only 15 seconds left, the Mavericks dribbled the ball out to end the game.
After a disappointing loss, the Wolves could say the sky is falling. Or they could learn from the things that worked well through Game 3. Anderson was a Wolves-best +9 in the game and one of only two Wolves players to finish with a positive rating (Reid was +2). Anderson was one of the sole bright spots in the game, finishing 5-of-6 shooting for ten points and defending Doncic effectively.
In 54 minutes played throughout the series, Anderson has defended Doncic as the lone defender for 8:34, according to NBA, and has guarded him for at least part of possession for 43.8 minutes. In that time, Doncic has nine points on 3 of 8 shooting and three turnovers. While that’s not a huge sample size, it suggests Anderson’s size and smart play slows Doncic down. Impressively, Doncic has only 11 turnovers despite playing 163 minutes in the series, and three of those turnovers have been with Anderson guarding him.
That could be due to Anderson’s individual defense, but it could also be because the team can change their assignments when he guards Doncic. It allows McDaniels to switch to Irving, enabling Edwards to move to one of the spot-up shooters, Jones Jr. or Washington. This shift allows Edwards to provide more off-ball help and conserve energy for his massive offensive responsibilities.
When McDaniels switches onto anyone not named Doncic or Lively, he has only given up 6 of 15 shooting. That’s mainly due to his length and ability to recover to affect shots after helping off the ball. Shifting McDaniels and Edwards off Doncic has had an impact. Playing Anderson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker together gives Minnesota the option of having Edwards or McDaniels play off-ball defense and gives them four players who can blitz and switch on screens.
Reid also enhances the McDaniels, Alexander-Walker, Edwards, and Anderson foursome. That lineup would allow the maximum amount of switching and four shooters to spread Anderson around. So far in the playoffs, the lineup has only played together for 10 minutes. However, the Wolves are 3-1 in those games, and the lineup has a +17.4 net rating.
The glaring issue with this lineup is the players who would be off the floor. It would require Towns, Gobert, and Conley to all be on the bench. That means it may not be a closing lineup or a long-term solution. However, the Wolves could use that lineup to stop a run or build a lead if they use it in the middle of the game. Minnesota should be open to all options down 3-0 in the series.
After the game, Reid displayed confidence that the Wolves aren’t done yet.
“If anyone can win four straight in this scenario,” he said, “I think it’s us.”
Anderson has shined in this series and should give hope that Edwards is right — the sky isn’t falling. The Wolves already starred in the face of a historic deficit this playoffs, setting the record for the largest comeback in a Game 7 (20 points) against the Denver Nuggets. If they are going to come back against Dallas, they must learn from their mistakes and capitalize on the positives.