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  • Naz Reid tallies 15 points, full line in Game 1
    Naz Reid shot 5-of-9 from the field and 2-of-4 from the foul line in Wednesday’s loss to the Mavericks, finishing with 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block, and three 3-pointers in 24 minutes.

    Advice: As has been the case throughout this season, Reid gave the Timberwolves solid production off the bench in Wednesday’s Game 1. Unfortunately for the Timberwolves, their bench outscoring the Mavericks reserves by a 28-14 margin didn’t mean much. Kyle Anderson added 11 points, two rebounds, two assists, and one 3-pointer in 17 minutes, shooting 5-of-8 from the field. While Reid and Rudy Gobert (12/7/1/1/2 in 38 minutes) recorded full stat lines, the struggles of Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards were too much to overcome. Minnesota will look to tie the series in Game 2 on Friday night. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:58 pm
     
  • Karl-Anthony Towns scores 16 points in Game 1 loss
    Karl-Anthony Towns finished Wednesday’s 108-105 loss to the Mavericks with 16 points (6-of-20 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), seven rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two 3-pointers in 34 minutes.

    Advice: Minnesota’s top two offensive weapons struggled on Wednesday, with Towns shooting 6-of-20 from the field and Anthony Edwards slightly better at 6-of-16. KAT shot 51% from the field in the second-round series against Denver, and he was a 52.6% shooter in four regular-season meetings with the Mavericks. However, each meeting with Dallas was played before the trade deadline, so Wednesday was KAT’s first look at a Mavericks lineup that included PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford. If the Timberwolves are to win this series, Towns has to be more efficient than he was in Game 1. Game 2 is on Friday night. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:53 pm
     
  • Jaden McDaniels scores team-high 24 points Weds.
    Jaden McDaniels shot 9-of-15 from the field in Wednesday’s Game 1 loss to Dallas, tallying 24 points, four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and six 3-pointers in 39 minutes.

    Advice: After shooting 6-of-9 from three in the final two games of Minnesota’s second-round series win over Denver, McDaniels stayed hot in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. He made six of his nine attempts from deep against the Mavericks while also leading the Timberwolves in scoring. On a night when Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns combined to score 35 points on 12-of-36 shooting, McDaniels’ performance kept Minnesota within striking distance. He and the Timberwolves will look to even the series at one-all on Friday. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:44 pm
     
  • Anthony Edwards struggles in Game 1, scores 19 PTS
    Anthony Edwards played 41 minutes in Wednesday’s 108-105 loss to the Mavericks, accounting for 19 points (6-of-16 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), 11 rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and five 3-pointers.

    Advice: On Wednesday, Edwards made his first appearance in the Western Conference Finals, and he was not his usual self offensively. He settled too often in Game 1, with 12 of his 16 shot attempts coming from beyond the arc. By comparison, only 36% of Edwards’ shot attempts in Minnesota’s second-round series against Denver were 3-pointers. The good news for DFS players is that he offered solid production in the rebound and assist categories while making five 3-pointers. However, if Minnesota is to win this series, they need Ant-Man to do more work off the dribble than he did on Wednesday. Game 2 is on Friday night. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:39 pm
     
  • Dereck Lively II grabs team-high 11 rebounds
    Dereck Lively II shot 4-of-4 from the field and 1-of-1 from the foul line in Wednesday’s win over Minnesota, amassing nine points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 27 minutes.

    Advice: As has been the case on most nights since the trade deadline, Lively and starting center Daniel Gafford combined to provide solid production for the Mavericks in Wednesday’s series opener. The rookie out of Duke was more effective as a rebounder and shot blocker, and his ability to make plays out of the short roll is why Lively played more than Gafford. And DG was solid in his time on the court, accounting for 10 points, nine rebounds, and one blocked shot. While Lively and Gafford averaged similar minutes in the second round (23.0 per game for the former, 23.5 for the latter), don’t be surprised if the former plays a little more in this series. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:30 pm
     
  • Kyrie Irving comes out hot, finishes with 30 PTS
    Kyrie Irving shot 12-of-23 from the field and 6-of-6 from the foul line in Wednesday’s 108-105 win over Minnesota, tallying 30 points, five rebounds, four assists, and one blocked shot in 40 minutes.

    Advice: Irving missed all three 3-point attempts in Wednesday’s series opener but was excellent in the paint. The Mavericks guard shot 8-of-13 in the paint, including 5-of-7 inside the restricted area. And after consistently getting off to slow starts during Dallas’ second-round series against Oklahoma City, Irving set the tone on Wednesday. He shot 11-of-14 from the field in the first half, scoring 24 of his 30 points. Look for a more aggressive Irving moving forward, as he has the most playoff experience of any player in the Mavericks rotation. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:23 pm
     
  • Luka Doncic scores game-high 33 points in Game 1
    Luka Doncic played 41 minutes in Wednesday’s Game 1 win over the Timberwolves, scoring 33 points (12-of-26 FGs, 6-of-7 FTs), six rebounds, eight assists, three steals, one block, and three 3-pointers.

    Advice: Doncic saved his best for last in Game 1, shooting 5-of-8 from the field in the fourth quarter as the Mavericks erased a seven-point deficit to win. He’s scored 29 or more in each of Dallas’ last three games, surpassing the 30-point mark twice. Doncic continues to play through nagging ankle and knee injuries, and he’s only failed to crack 40 minutes once this postseason. That was Dallas’ 30-point win over the Clippers in Game 5 of that first-round series, and he played 39 minutes that night. Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals is on Friday night. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:18 pm
     
  • Active and starting
    Conley (Achilles) is part of the starting lineup for Wednesday's Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against Dallas.

    Advice: Conley will play through a strained right soleus for a third straight game and will slot into his usual starting point guard role. In four regular-season games against the Mavericks this season, Conley averaged 10.8 points, 4.8 assists and 2.3 rebounds. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 5:21 pm
     
  • Mike Conley (calf) available for Game 1 Wednesday
    Mike Conley (left soleus strain) is available for Wednesday’s game against the Mavericks.

    Advice: Conley is officially available after the Timberwolves listed him as questionable on the initial injury report. The veteran point guard takes his usual place in the starting lineup alongside Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Rudy Gobert. Rotoworld Yesterday, 5:06 pm