The Western Conference Finals features a matchup of one team that’s been here two years before and another squad that hasn’t been this far in 20 years.
That’s the backdrop between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Dallas Mavericks in the conference finals, which tips off on Wednesday. Fifth-seeded Dallas made it this far behind superstar Luka Doncic, and the Mavericks now have Kyrie Irving as his sidekick. Many of the current Timberwolves players weren’t even done with elementary school when the team fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 conference finals.
That doesn’t mean the third-seeded Wolves come in as underdogs or consider the moment too big. The Wolves just overcame a 20-point deficit to dispatch the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets in the Mile High City on Sunday.
That means Wolves superstar Anthony Edwards can continue his ascent as arguably the game’s best player. Edwards has averaged 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.3 steals through the playoffs. While he can easily drop 40 points on an opponent, he can also shut down an opponent’s top offensive threat.
Doncic, one of the top players in the NBA for years, gets another shot at the finals. He has been stellar through the playoffs amid 27.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 9.1 assists, and 1.4 steals.
Irving comes into the series as the lone big-name player who has reached an NBA Finals before, which he did in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is averaging 25.6 points, five rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
Similar to Irving, Minnesota has a second star behind Edwards in Karl-Anthony Towns. A No. 1 pick in 2015 by the Wolves, Towns has been an All-Star four times but hasn’t ever made it past the first round of the playoffs. He has averaged 21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and three assists through the first two rounds.
Minnesota swept the Phoenix Suns 4–0 to open the playoffs but needed seven games to knock out the Nuggets. Dallas beat the Los Angeles Clippers 4–2 in the first round and then beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games for the semifinals.
The Wolves went 3–1 against the Mavericks in the regular season, but the two last played on Jan. 31 before the trade deadline. Dallas acquired P.J. Washington in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets and Daniel Gafford via a trade with the Washington Wizards.
Before those changes, the Wolves beat Dallas 119–101 on Dec. 14 and 118–110 on Dec. 28 in 2023. Edwards dropped 44 on the Mavericks in that second of two meetings.
Dallas beat the Wolves once on Jan. 7 in a 115–108 victory despite 36 from Edwards. Irving led the way for the Mavericks with 35 points, and Doncic scored 34.
Minnesota took the final of four meetings on Jan. 31 with a 121–87 victory led by Towns’ 29 points. Neither Doncic nor Irving played in that game for the Mavericks.
Key Supporting Cast Players
A 6-foot-7 power forward, Washington has been dynamic for the Mavericks amid 14.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. Gafford has been solid at center amid 8.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game.Dallas also has a solid small forward in Derrick Jones, who averages 10.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game. Center Derek Lively II can also create a spark amid his 8.6 points, seven rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game.
Minnesota similarly owns a strong supporting cast, beginning with center Rudy Gobert, who averages 12.2 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game. Power forward Jaden McDaniels is a force amid his 12.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, one steal, and 1.2 blocks per game.
Legacies a Stake for Wolves, Mavs
Minnesota owns the dubious distinction as the NBA team with the lowest all-time winning percentage. That could change with a young superstar in Edwards, who could become the face of the league.Dallas meanwhile seeks to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011 when Dirk Nowitzki led the way. The Mavericks remained playoff regulars after that title run with eight more appearances, including this year’s. Dallas came up short against the Golden State Warriors 4–1 in the last Western Conference Finals appearance in 2022.
