DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks' defense has stepped up in the 2024 NBA playoffs. Everyone talks about offense, and there is no question that Dallas has seen some stellar scoring performances. Still, the Mavs' defense has played a crucial role in the team's overall success. The Mavs have been especially impressive against Minnesota Timberwolves stars Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Before Game 4, Mavs head coach Jason Kidd commented on the team's defensive effort against the Timberwolves stars.
“Yeah, we're competing,” Kidd said. “We're trying to make it hard on everybody, not just Towns. On Ant (Anthony Edwards), (Mike) Conley, but it's not easy. They are getting good looks, they have missed some. For us, it's continue to be consistent. Try to keep them off the free throw line… Contest as many shots as we can. We understand that Ant and Towns are gonna put a lot of pressure on our defense which has been there since Game 1. There's nothing new or different there. We just gotta make it as hard as possible and understand that they're going to continue to keep coming and try to find a way to extend this series.”
Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns struggling vs. Mavericks
Edwards has averaged 22 points, eight rebounds, and three assists per outing through the first three games of the series. He's shot just 38.6 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Towns, meanwhile, is averaging 15 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game against the Mavs. The Timberwolves star has connected on just 27.8 percent of his field goal attempts and 13.6 percent of his three-point attempts.
The Mavericks have made life difficult for the Timberwolves. They are playing an aggressive all-around brand of defense.
Towns has struggled mightily from deep. He is one of the best shooting big men in the NBA but has yet to find his groove in the series.
Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch revealed the message he shared with Towns after Game 3.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Finch said before Game 4. “I just told him, ‘the past is unrelated to the future. Trust your talent, stay confident. We are very very confident in you. Shots will fall.' I mean, Jaden (McDaniels) went through a massive slump in the Denver series and then helped us finish it out by catching fire. And that's kind of continued into the early parts of this series too. That's just how shooting is, just gotta wait until the cards turn in your favor.”
The Mavericks can clinch an NBA Finals appearance with a victory on Tuesday night. However, the Timberwolves are looking to keep their season alive.
Follow Us
Subscribe
