Timberwolves-Mavericks Reaction: Luka Doncic & Mavs push Wolves to BRINK | Hoops Tonight

Jason Timpf reacts to Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and the Dallas Mavericks' 116-107 Game 3 win over Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals. Jason breaks down the game's biggest highlights and discusses what's next for both teams following Dallas taking a 3-0 series lead.
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#nba #mavericks #timberwolves #dallasmavs #dallasmavericks #minnesotatimberwolves #wolves #anthonyedwards #karlanthonytowns #rudygobert #lukadoncic #kyrieirving #nbaplayoffs #playoffs #nbafinals #nbahighlights #nbabasketball #westernconferencefinals #wcf #basketball #sports

[@kelleywhitehurst3180]

Stephen A Smith: "Luka should not have made first team all-nba over Jalen Brunson."

[@JohnSmith-oe5kx]

Stephen A. Smith is a talking head. You can tell because none of his good points are original. If he wanders off on his own, he never comes up with anything insightful. It will be either banal or downright stupid.

[@gbmbg114]

I don’t really watch his show much.. but think about his job.. it’s not to be right.. it’s to get people watching, talking and caring.. and you’re talking about him on someone else’s video! Lol.. respectfully, whoever is bothered by him is getting played like a fiddle.. (goes beyond SAS/sports too)..

[@JohnSmith-oe5kx]

@@gbmbg114 Yeah, but generally when I encounter Smith I turn it off because there is only so much of his yelling and nonsense that I can take. That is not good for business.

[@scarletspider1240]

Also SAS….”Kyrie should retire” Dude is an absolute clown. 🤡 He fakes like he’s the world’s biggest Knicks fan and talks about players that aren’t even on the Knicks anymore like they’re still on the team. He’s a fake, a poser, and a clown. His job is to generate viral sound bites to use for ESPN clickbait videos…that’s it.

[@gbmbg114]

@JohnSmith-oe5kx .. lol fair enough.. same here.. I’m just at the point where it’s like, why do people take him seriously or think that he represents “the media” opinion or “the black” opinion??.. he’s literally just pushing buttons for his own ratings lol..

[@Billy_Supreme]

This series went from "Bring ya ASS " to bring a 🧹

[@jap33jpd]

😅🤣😂😆I'm dead!

[@JakeKoenig]

It went from "I got Kyrie" to "I got humbled by better players than me."

[@ExplodingPoteto]

From waiving bye bye to denver crowd to surfing in the mexico coast real quick. 🤣🤣🤣 talk about karma

[@tompratt7125]

The Wolves are obviously on empty after that brutal series emotionally and physically v the Nuggets. They don't even look like the same team.

[@Marc-n5e]

​@@tompratt7125maybe the Mavs are a better team. Yall swept the Sons and had more time to rest. Mavs have played 6 games in each series.

[@chainz4574]

Here is my thing, people underrate how generational Luka's playmaking is. There is no matchup to counter that.

[@Metaphorically7]

None. You just have to hope he has an off night, really. Or try to funnel him into help D as much as possible. You either trap/double him and let your team go 3 against 4 (which especially hurts when one of those 4 guys is Kyrie). Or you let him cook with step backs or getting into the lane, jailing a defender on his back, and either hitting a floater, a perfect kick out pass, a lob alley oop, or that spinning fade thats somehow impossible to guard. But he’s so efficient at every one of those. And he makes great decisions very consistently.

[@pedrocoke5928]

We just saw luka struggle against Lou dort and OKC if he didn’t have a all time great in the backcourt with him he would not make it past the 2 second round

[@Jyoandbean]

@@pedrocoke5928if any didn’t have 2 defensive all nba players and two all stars he’s have lost in the first round. See how odd a comment this is?

[@AMINOMMA]

@@pedrocoke5928 did you see why tho? Dort was literally allowed to play like a linebacker against him and he's on one leg. If Doncic was a 100% it wouldn't even have been like that

[@SweetChariotOfFire]

This is the reason why I believe Luka is the best player in the league, even over Jokic.

[@djkido316]

From "BRING YA ASS" to "Getting Baptized in Dirty waters of Galveston"

[@leonardo_mrll]

"bring ya ass to Cancun" - a salty Kevin Durant probably

[@kdr0120]

Haha, from bring ya ass to bring ya broom 🧹

[@kefkapalazzo1]

Lmaoooo

[@abiolaayinde754]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@schuylersavage276]

Did anyone notice the step back Luka cashed over Towns? That was mild blowing. He knew he was going to have to alter the height of his release point and also gather slightly earlier and faster than he normally does as he takes that negative step. He released the ball so high, and the arc was well above the TV cameras. I was surprised the commentators didn’t point it out!

[@jamesbuchanan7836]

Luka is a generational talent

[@bgdgdgdf4488]

Woah. Slow down there nostradamus

[@lw1745]

A lot of NBA players and Hall of Famers said the same thing, it's not a secret nore a debate

[@antmj2335]

So is ant

[@vlr9442]

Comparing ant to Luka 😂😂​@@antmj2335

[@purplesky4157]

@@bgdgdgdf4488how is he not wtf? U sound like a hater and probably say Anthony Edwards is 😂😂😂😂 luka won rookie of the year and has been all nba every season after. Dude averaged a damn near 34 triple double this season. People forget Luka was doing more than Edwards at his age with much less! Yall really be hating on Luka for no reason. Once h wins his chip there’s no denying him! Mind u this mf is INJURED on one leg and he still cooking!!!

[@gavitorres-olivares]

I was a mad nuggets fan walking out of a bar yelling “go get swept by Dallas, Minnesota” that was me mad, I didn’t think it was actually gonna happen 😂😂😂

[@pratikchandak1511]

Everyone in the media praised Kyrie, beats up KAT's shooting and grudgingly criticized Ant ("Face of the NBA"). Why isn't anyone praising Luka at the level that he deserved?

[@mycabbages3538]

We all know why.

[@Fonsec-s1z]

@@mycabbages3538welcome to the NBA

[@JesusMarquez-y8d]

@@mycabbages3538cause he a white European

[@lexxon11]

What are you listening to, do you have selective hearing?

[@Musso8771]

Take a wild guess.

[@norkbork]

luka hit shots tonight where i just said to myself.. how do you defend that..?

[@timetowakeup6302]

And he’s doing it on one good leg/knee

[@dsmith33]

You don’t lol. We’ve been trying to explain this to the league for 6 years… you can only hope his jumper is off but if the shot is falling you’ve got no chance other than playing 3v4 and praying the other guys don’t hit open looks cuz he will find the right pass practically every single time.

[@Jason-eo7xo]

You don't

[@Marc-n5e]

Where have you been? Under a rock? Luka has been that guy since 2018.

[@Wardell.Koloi10037]

With Luka you really just have to hope his jumper's off. And even then he can still manipulate the floor at an elite level

[@david_m157]

That clip of Lukas reaction after he stripped Gobert is hilarious

[@jdelgado216]

The face he made is the one we all had, what the hell was Gobert thinking when he is below average at best in the offense?

[@angelaquino6755]

Although it is true that Dort bothered Luka a little more, I think it is overblown by the fact that the actual biggest difference is the fact that Luka looks significantly healthier than he did the previous 2 rounds. Had he been healthy he would’ve cooked Dort too

[@nicholaseaster58]

Picked the Mavs in 7. I was dead wrong.

[@kevincharles1983]

I picked them in 6..lol

[@sukkimusicofficial7539]

Same here Mavs in 7, happy to be wrong 😂

[@AkumaClaps]

I had them in 5, max 6 lol

[@Marc-n5e]

Mavs in 6 because i wanted to be humble

[@ctoaun23]

"Mavs in something" I was right

[@adriandaliva1341]

PSA: Kyrie is 14-0 in closeout games when his team is up/series tied. Best record in NBA history. This man is on a mission.

[@sukkimusicofficial7539]

Fax I think he’s really motivated by all the hate he got and he’s proving everyone wrong by being mature and a great leader. On top of giving everyone BUCKETS

[@devinisreal9356]

Wooow if that's true that means that whenever Kyrie's team has won 3 games in a series they always win the next game.

[@AndYouAre]

I get the sentiment, but it's a bit hard taking that stat seriously when we consider he had LeBron and now Luka. When he played with anyone else, we've seen him lose early in series and we've seen him get swept. We've seen him on the other end of close outs, but I guess those don't count. I hate fake stats. What I can say is that Kyrie is a really good "Robin". He's always been 1 of the best players in the league as long as he not tasked to being the best player on a team. I hope Dallas wins it all this year mainly because I've grown tired of the American born narrative.

[@DivineGodAllah29]

@@AndYouArein clutch moments he’s literally the best player.

[@ronreith5185]

Kyrie's mission has always been to get a Ring without LeBron ... if he does it will be the cherry-on-top for his career and legacy

[@seanzibonanzi64]

Mavs clutch time play completely outdoes the Wolves every game. The game was tied at 104, final score 116-107.

[@trev9168]

People blame ant but what actually lost us the last few minutes was Kat. Game was tied, 20 secs on the shot clock and what does Kat do with any at the top of the key demanding the ball? He takes a step back 3 and loses all the momentum we gathered. Kat is the problem. Ant has to do it all on his own and he needs some dam help.

[@sukkimusicofficial7539]

@@trev9168 I noticed that the wolves become a different team in the clutch. Throughout the game they thrive off a very diverse offense getting everyone involved, hence why their role player score so much. But in the clutch they seem to feel the need to go to their two stars and unfortunately , ant and Kat aren’t great in the clutch.

[@anasebrahim3382]

That's what I was thinking, if the wolves want to win, they should never let the game go to clutch minutes, where the mavs are like nuggets on steroids and the wolves are not even average in the clutch.

[@Thedrunkguy1]

Everyone still sleeping on the Mavs. OKC was a legit good team. Just because the Mavs won doesn't mean they weren't as good as you thought they were. Wolves are also a really good team. Just because the Mavs are winning doesn't mean they weren't as good as you thought they were. What it means is that the Mavs are better than you thought they were. All this wordplay to explain what you see with your own eyes can be shortened to, the Mavs are the best team in the Western Conference.

[@twilitezn]

Like Jason said : matchups….if Denver had made it instead of Minnesota, then I think this series is drastically different…im not saying that Denver would win, but they matchup better against Dallas.

[@Ryan-mn7gm]

@@twiliteznno they don’t. Jokic can’t play an ounce of defense and gafford and lively would contain him 10x better than gobert as we’ve seen thus far. Jokic having 12 point first half’s wouldn’t fly in Dallas

[@bandoogiemanz]

​@@Ryan-mn7gm so you think Mavs would have been up 3-0 against the nuggets?

[@Cyb3rbishop]

Denver is better than Mavs tho

[@peihebin2067]

@@bandoogiemanzjokic has no back up they gonna lose by 20 everytime he sits.

[@lw1745]

Luka and Kyrie were outstanding again but It's a team game and everyone stepped up bc Mavericks is just a better team overall. On the other hand, Ant was nowhere in the 4th, Luka is already the face of the league. Nobody in NBA history came back from a 3-0 and they are closing at home, it's over.

[@purplesky4157]

The Mavs are not a better team overall. The wolves are deep! Luka and kyrie are just stone cold killers. Ant isn’t. Can he be in the future? Big maybe because that’s something u just born with. Naz Reid went of last game from3 , this game Conley and Jaden McDaniel did as well. They got kat, Reid, mcdaniels, Edwards, Conley, Rudy gobert etc.. they have more depth than the Mavs. Once lively went down it was noticeable because they don’t have no one to cover for him.

[@jjoworld]

​@purplesky4157 you don't know ball. Mavs have always needed inside presence. They don't win without kyrie and luka but without lively, gafford, p.j, and Jones jr you can't go deep. And of course they take pressure off their back and let's them cook

[@Young-ep8ik]

Wolves have slightly better supporting cast. Mavs has by far the best player in the series.

[@kristijangavez2480]

Luka a two-way player

[@EbonysUnderAttack]

😂😂😂

[@RickM23]

5 steals tonight! That more steals than the entire Wolves team (4). Love it!

[@chukutribenzemalimitless6285]

Who's the 59 ways player,,,name him,,

[@curtiszyr]

Lmao this is y’all only chance to say anything 😂😂

[@angelsaint-hilaire4372]

A lot of those paint points that flipped for Wolves is due to Lively going out in the 2nd quarter.

[@kevincharles1983]

I agree. If lively doesn't go out I don't think this game is even close

[@JoeyBeanzLittle]

and it still didn’t matter….

[@haqq1]

it's hard to make adjustments on the fly. I feel like they will handle the paint even without Lively next game.

[@angelsaint-hilaire4372]

@@haqq1 yeah, but with both Kleber and Lively out, that leaves the Mavs pretty small. And Gafford is more of a low minutes energy big than someone you play 36-38 mins.

[@scarletspider1240]

Yup, Lively was playing awesome until that head injury.

[@LukeCage1015]

Luka is a top 5 offensive player ever

[@timetowakeup6302]

Not yet. But 5-7 more years like he’s given already and he is absolutely Top 5

[@jaidenbarnette1083]

Yeah Luka and Jokic are just transcendently all time great offensive talents. Could very well both be top 5 offensive players ever. What an era of basketball. There’s so much talent in the league.

[@jettlife3560]

Luka need 15 years before we say this but at the rate he's going. His numbers are ridiculous. Gotta win three rings

[@SquidysTents]

Too soon bruh

[@Michael-wt3rp]

@@jettlife3560? why specifically 3? and what does the amount of rings he wins have to do with how good he is st the sport? 😂

[@urthpainter]

Surprising the team that beat the Nuggets by 45 can't come up with effective strategy vs the Mavs. Exactly like you said - it's not momentum, it's matchups. And putting players in position to succeed. Kidd deserves credit for sure.

[@jdelgado216]

I had a hunch Denver would be in trouble against Minnesota due to their size and defense after the series against LA, they looked really bad against an incredibly flawed Lakers team. Still had them favorites but didn't see them as strong as last year when Jokic was making over the run step back 3s

[@kelleywhitehurst3180]

From trade deadline to now, the Mavs are 37-11. Let's GO!!!!

[@JayDay32]

ANT is proving it was way too early to start comparing to MJ.

[@shirtripper4878]

I was blown away when Luka wasn’t drafted #1. Did people not see the prodigy he was at 16!?!

[@CTEagleCeltic]

Team need + lack of athleticism + American Bias= 16th pick

[@schuylersavage276]

@@CTEagleCelticlol. He wasn’t the 16th pick. He was the 3rd pick. Traded for the 5th pick, Trae Young.

[@jdelgado216]

Except that the dude was an euro MVP when he was 19, if the scouting team thought it wasn't enough to be 1/2 then they failed ​@@CTEagleCeltic

[@hiawathasbrother]

At some point, please address the fact that it was only because KAT took out Lively (with first a knee to the groin and then a knee to the head) that Ant was able to have a decent game.

[@KAye633]

Exactly

[@smoothkk1]

I totally understand Luka is the man but Kyrie is a proven Champion and they will not be in this position without him

[@Teemezoney]

This dude play to his viewers i guess because he constantly under -sells Kyrie on purpose..

[@haqq1]

100%

[@haqq1]

@@Teemezoney well the entire ESPN undersells Luka so...lol

[@golfrelax9795]

One thing FOR SURE! KYRIE without luka is 100% didn't even make it to playoff!!! Luka without kyrie you stil had 80% Chance going to playoff. Proff? Saw what kyrie did in celtic, Brooklyn And then saw what luka did before kyrie😊

[@victorvic4659]

Thats why its team game T.E.A.M.

[@kevincharles1983]

No one gave us a chance. The mavs are playing the BEST basketball out of all 4 teams left hands down. I don't see Boston winning a 7 game series vs the mavs.

[@Musso8771]

I hope you're right, but I just don't see them beating Boston. Luka is of course the best player in the series, but the rest of Boston is just way too good overall.

[@ragingsavage9059]

The problem with Boston is that they got too many players specifically the 2 main guys that disappear in big moments. In contrast to Dallas who has an all time closer in Kyrie and Luka who shown time and time again that he welcomes the big moments. That will be the difference in that series. Dallas in 6

[@AkumaClaps]

@@ragingsavage9059 also the fact that celtics had a cakewalk on the eastern conference playoffs, they faced no real adversity... while mavericks vs clippers, okc and wolves, got battle tested..

[@sin842]

I agree but we need Lively or Maxi back.

[@chestermallory395]

Nick Wright picked the Mavs to win the title before the playoffs started. Bayless and Barkley picked the Mavs to win the series before it started. Don't be a victim as a fan.

[@taylor7264]

I picked mavs in 7 but I never saw this level of domination coming

[@johnathanrobles9754]

Shit, I thought the wolves and everyone picking them was in for a surprise, but not his big of a sirprise😂

[@tompratt7125]

One of the more obvious takeaways is that the Wolves peaked physically and emotionally v the Nuggets. Wolves org spent the last years very specifically and in fine detail constructing a roster to beat Jokic and Denver. Because of the history it was personal. They reached that mountain top and literally peaked. They played with fanatical intensity through most of the Denver series. I've seen maybe 10 minutes of that v the Mavs. Dallas playing great and deserve every bit of praise but the Wolves don't even look like the same team. Maybe fixating on a single series and a single team isn't a winning approach.

[@Thelostandprofoundpodcast]

Mavs are just a better team. If the Mavs played the Wolves in round 1 it would have still been a sweep. There NEEDS to be serious roster changes if you want to beat the Mavs

[@djkido316]

Wolves fans keep saying that but they have the same team for 4 years before Nuggets were the target, They got lucky in the series against nuggets nothing else.

[@tompratt7125]

@@djkido316 I realize Mavs fans are now in official crazy irrational mode and good for you all. The first guy that responded to my take is especially in that out of his mind category. The Wolves haven't had the same team for 4 years. You don't know what you're talking about. I'm actually a Nuggets fan.

[@ExplodingPoteto]

If you need 3 bigs to slowdown jokic. How many guards you need to put on 2 offensive juggernaut? Ithat denver series could go both ways. But now they just facr the worst match up for them.

[@djkido316]

@@tompratt7125 I'm a fan of Mavs and Nuggets, I wanted to see Luka v Jokic, I'm saying Timberwolves got lucky against Nuggets that nobody showed up except for Jokic whole series otherwise it would've been Luka v Jokic.

[@jrodriguez2794]

EVERYONE WAS SOOO WRONG ON THIS SERIES AND IM LOVING IT #letsgoMAVS

[@kbthegoat824]

Scary thing is dallas isn't even healthy, starting with Luka with knee problems. And they're making the best defense in nba lool like there is nothing they can do.

[@yetanotherYTuser2]

Main reason Dallas needs that 4-0. Luka's knee will have 8 days to recover until the finals.

[@SomeChink]

No team is healthy come playoff time

[@mr.cantplayaninstrument8402]

@@yetanotherYTuser2 I just hope lively recovers in time for the finals

[@maxmeier532]

there is not one guy in the nba who hasnt knee issues.

[@sindilacion]

Wolves defense got cooked by perimeter duos all season long.

[@saggerpance]

LOVE this breakdown. It’s not often I hear someone who isn’t in Dallas understand and communicate what makes this team good.

[@VictorNyanumba-zl2fq]

NBA so uncomfortable with the faces of the league being Luka and Joker. Its gonna be a long ass 10 years😂😂

[@ljutko7]

💯🎯💯🤷

[@JATARO9]

Luka defense is insane these playoffs

[@lenzoltan]

He will finish leading the playoffs in steals.

[@timetowakeup6302]

Anthony Edwards face is on the side of my Milk Carton… it says: “Have You Seen Me? Missing Since Game 6 of The Denver Series” 😂 Ant man shooting 38% this series 🤫🤐

[@rainmaker6261]

He played fine tonight. First two losses were entirely on Ant. This game was on KAT.

[@EiLLskillz]

They tried to crown him a little too soon. 😅

[@timetowakeup6302]

@@rainmaker6261 He played well in the third quarter. Then He had two points in the fourth quarter before a meaningless layup at the very end to make it 4. They needed him desperately in that fourth-quarter and he was a ghost. He’s been lousy this series. Maybe this will humble him a little bit. Enjoy Cancun.

[@imwaytwogoated6]

He’s getting a 2nd and 3rd defender every time he touch the ball. KAT need to work from the post

[@jourdanzero9312]

u were probably waiting all playoffs for the chance to make this post congrats

[@WOWimTim]

Mavs if they win would be only the second team in nba history to win 4 straight playoff series as the lower seed. The 95 rockets did it and they also had a midseason trade

[@mikotagayuna8494]

Remember, kids: Ant is Jordan, Jokic & the Nuggets will win it all again this year, Celtics are not clutch and Kyrie & Luka can't play together.

[@sardonicus76]

ESPN: The Worldwide Laughingstock in Sports

[@maxmeier532]

i can tell you are watching too much ESPN and TNT, and that is YOUR problem.

[@CloneCoalition21]

honestly did not expect this series to turn out that lopsided the way it has been. Was expecting a full 6-7 game series but it has not even been close

[@urthpainter]

If the game is close, Mavs win every time with their clutch play

[@Timister0902]

This series is literally 2022 WCF Dallas had just disposed what was thought to be an elite phoenix team Then Golden State just came in with answers, and disposed of them

[@roshango125ab]

What you are seeing in these conference finals are 2 teams in Boston and Dallas, who are more experienced in these moments than Indiana and Minnesota. Wolves and Pacers have bright futures but the Celtics and Mavs have been building towards this for years

[@norkbork]

truth. i’m not with either team, and i’m just looking forward to some fireworks. this will be a legendary finals. enough of the celtics hate, they can absolutely stand up to the mavs. it is anyones finals, we will see who plays better.

[@AkumaClaps]

Crazy how I as mavs fan, was expecting that celtics vs mavs matchup back in 2022, but mavs got destroyed by the warriors on the WCF, having no real centers back then, and still having Dwight powell and kleber playing most of the center minutes lol

[@mr.cantplayaninstrument8402]

more like luka and kyrie are experienced Lively, PJ and gafford are still recent and makes this playoffs that much more impressive

[@DeuceTreyz]

Has there ever been a time where BOTH Conference Finals are 4-0 Sweeps???

[@ancika88]

Aparently in 1957.

[@galaxynight4268]

Luka and Kyrie are duo made in heaven so electrfying hard to beat bar any injuries.

[@darrientwyman1309]

Luka and Kyrie are impossible to guard for 4 quarters

[@Blade70]

Kyrie and Luka was the obvious dynamic duo but Gafford brought enough energy for entire city of Dallas. Wow!

[@nickp8]

I love watching your show. You do such a good job of breaking down how to play the game. Its refreshing to watch. Thank you for all you do, and for making other programs raise the bar on their content. Would love to see you do a segment with shaq, kenny the jet smith, JJ, or obviously king james. Your work is inspiring. Keep killing it brother and thank you 🙏

[@SaintG.K.]

😂"Series'es"... Thank you for cleaning that up. Love the content💪

[@minseconds6850]

D jones already said he’s staying in Dallas I assume he’s going to make it work however it needs to be done

[@waylonjenninz]

There's going to have be a discussion about Nico Harrison at some point.

[@SkullEZClap]

How has Ants potential changed 0 after this series?? You just said in this video that he will need considerably more time to reach the peak. So that’s considerably less rings for him. He potentially could have started winning championships starting this season but now it’ll take him a couple more years to get his first. The potential does change lol

[@toddcairns84]

Mailbag- Jason I love the channel and have improved my understanding of Basketball immeasurably thanks to your logical and insightful breakdowns of the game. I used the logic you taught me to predict that the Mavs have many advantages in this match up that should put them as a considerable favourite, despite what the overall narratives were surrounding the series. Looking back on your coverage, I believe you have the basketball IQ and experience to have gone against the majority of your peers and predicted the shape of this match up before game 1, but allowed yourself to be moved by more narrative based statements, such as Edwards is playing like a top 5 player in the league, or that either Denver or Minny would easily beat Dallas or OKC. Do you think this is a fair assessment and that if you followed your own processes more strictly you could have predicted this series more accurately? Love the content and keep up the great work.

[@pavlos307]

Dude, this is the first time i've ever watched you. This is great stuff, great analysis and content.

[@pedrodimaggio4144]

The things that were said about Minnesota and Ant after the Denver series…”learn to sit back and watch, not everything needs a reaction”.

[@khackett7]

As a Pacers fan I enjoy more ball movement, but the craft that Luka and Kyrie display is incredible.

[@JoeyBeanzLittle]

Mavs or Celtics? I say Mavs

[@jeffreyroedel9804]

Timberwolves beat a "superteam" in the Suns ya but is Beale really elite still? And here's the truth: Minnesota IS a superteam. 3 all-stars, including DPOY? Plus 6MOY who would be starting on almost any other squad in the league. Yes Ant is young but he's an all-star, a #1 pick, and he's on Team USA. Kat is another #1 pick and he and Golbert have been all-stars several times. Timberwolves are a superteam, people just don't talk about that for some reason. What Luka, Kyrie and Co. are doing offensively to this Minnesota team is amazing.

[@Musso8771]

Don't forget another all defense member as well. But you're right, half the time they look better when Edwards is on the bench.

[@davepop8192]

Wolves not a super team stop it

[@jeffreyroedel9804]

@@davepop8192 What else does a team need to be a superteam? They have three all-stars, DPOY and 6MOY...how many teams have that lol. Not many, and the ones that do are considered superteams. Timberwolves have a stacked roster for sure, it's no surprise they are a Top 4 team this season. Come on.

[@Marc-n5e]

​​@@davepop8192casual dave

[@curtiszyr]

@@jeffreyroedel9804 stop explaining shxt , folks like this one think the definition of superteam is KD lol

[@xxdemestrosxx]

i don't think there is slender regarding gaff. i think in close situations the mavs fans would have loved some trimmed gaff minutes in favour of d live. and j lkidd pulls gaff the second the opposing team is blitzing

[@torimcneel7692]

Kyrie is him!

[@BrianR883]

Need the boston vs mavs Breakdown

[@iBGalaxy]

looking forward to the Dallas Boston breakdown

[@michaelmyers6985]

Uncle Drew made it hard for the young bloods last night 🌙

[@khackett7]

Kudos to Dallas mgmt for filling out a roster around Luka and Kyrie.

[@deeptime5581]

Anthony Edwards does not seem to be in condition to play hard for 40 minutes.

[@Musso8771]

It seems more like he's just not as good as people insist he is.

[@KxngAntTae]

@@Musso8771Sad ur a grown man behind a computer dedicates your life hating on a 22 year old who led his team to a WCF lmaoo.

[@KAye633]

@@KxngAntTaeleading a team to a wcf then getting swept is not an accomplishment lmao.

[@parisgrayson1513]

@@KAye633yes it is wtf😭

[@KxngAntTae]

@@KAye633 Getting swept? nah ANT never got swept unlike Jokic in 2021

[@brentrazz6355]

I said it might be a sweep a week ago, but nobody commented on my post, lol

[@Musso8771]

Good call if so. I certainly thought Minnesota would win, but I'm glad that Dallas is.

[@curtiszyr]

You want a cookie? You should be putting money on your predictions if looking for a reward

[@UraStr]

if I saw it, I'd reply: don't steal my take

[@DJCinthaBoy]

Kyrie was hurt like a 3rd of the year. The Mavs could’ve easily have been the number 1 seed if they were healthy. I don’t see why everyone is surprised they’re on the cusp of the finals

[@apj1474]

But if he never gets hurt do we make the trades? Crazy huh

[@DJCinthaBoy]

@@apj1474 I do think the trades still happen. Aside from the first 10 games, Grant Williams was straight ass, and everyone who actually watched the Mavs could see that. Same thing with Lively, he was a rookie and was getting hurt and we needed a back up big . I’m pretty sure they still make both trades

[@henryrhodes7997]

That vacuum comment was on KZbin, Jason. So on point. As always love the breakdowns👏

[@mrvhz7]

Doncic has fathered another son. He’s gone and leaned over to antman at the end and redone his meme.. 😂😂😂

[@romanvalentine8439]

MailBag: Been keeping up with this series and I tend to notice Luka at times can get a bit sloppy with the ball dribbling and handling wouldn’t you say that Kyrie sometimes needs to stop giving the ball up so much and be more of the ball handler? Especially when he gets hot. Would definitely like to see Ky be a bit more ball dominant and aggressive at times. Thoughts ???

[@Jerrden]

They’ve won their last 5 playoff games, I’m not changing anything right now if I’m the Mavs lol

[@danhatcher3939]

Mailbag: Would you consider doing off season film break downs of some of the All-time great players? Specifically their moves that changed the game a la the Iverson cut? Love the channel. You've helped me on my journey to love the game of basketball again with your great analysis! Thanks!

[@MrBonzeMedal]

Mavs have been incredible in the clutch. Kyrie and Luka are just not affected by the defense at all. Meanwhile the Wolves offense is absolutely selling them. Conley doesn’t have an advantage, KAT is bad, and with Gobert on the floor it’s 4 vs. 5 and the bigs can help on ANT’s drives to the rim. McDaniels, ANT, and Naz Reid are the only reasons the Wolves have been in some of these games

[@mctaguer]

I was saying the other day these Western Conference playoffs remind me of the 80s NBA, particularly the East back then. In 1983, the Sixers had their best team ever (65 wins), the C's 56 (and defending champs), and Milwaukee (with ROY Terry Cummings) 51. Seems logical, Philly would dominate, right? But the way it played out...Boston getting SWEPT (this was the Bird, Parish, McHale and Maxwell Cs) by Milwaukee, and I remember thinking "Wow, Milwaukee's gonna give Philly all they can handle." Nope. Philly in turn beat the Bucks, 4-1, (and then swept the Fakers). Those three had played each other fairly evenly during the season as well. But in the playoffs, it was ALL about how they matched up and what order they played each other.

[@pompong2]

@22:33 serieses is actually correct, you can use that suffix when talking about all nouns which are already in their plural form

[@futureceltic00]

Luka developed that in the EuroLeague

[@UraStr]

MIN fans were so cute after they beat DEN, hope DAL fans learned a lesson from them and approach the next series being humble and grateful for being there. Because they are (very likely) getting (gentle) swept by BOS. I'm still so disappointed in DEN this season. Lack of effort should never be the reason you don't win the tittle...

[@JoeyBeanzLittle]

Ant Man will never be the face of the NBA… Especially getting swept 🧹

[@fearlesskingdom4051]

LeBron was the most searched and viewed player this season. He’ll be the face until he retires

[@parisgrayson1513]

He basically already is

[@kefkapalazzo1]

I used to watch you but it was always through Colin and I forgot your name. Didn’t forget the quality of analysis though. New sub

[@benjousan8470]

Thank you for saying what should be obvious - this series was over after game 2. Shooting variance is the only thing that created the illusion it was close at all in terms of x’ and o’s

[@lizzymayethebordercollie]

I think the Wolves put all of their mental and physical energy into beating the Nuggets. They are spent and on fumes. Plus it’s Luka and Kyrie with all things clicking. Wolves never stood a chance.

[@rulifaller8474]

Athletes always look lethargic when they just do not know what to do to beat their opponent. It has nothing to do with a lack of energy. They are just tired from chasing their own tails.

[@scarletspider1240]

These are two great teams…but the matchups and the ability to close out close games heavily favors Dallas. That’s why they’re up 3-0. These games have been really fun to watch as a basketball fan.

[@lucasjorge5249]

Where do you think lively can get? I mean, I think he can be not just an all star but a hall of famer at the end of his career… he is going to play 10 years with a top 5 PG of all time

[@ronreith5185]

Dallas is going to need Dereck Lively for the Finals against Boston ... the Lively/Gafford 2-Headed Dunk Monster will be necessary to demoralize the Celtics ... hope Dereck heals and thank goodness he'll have plenty of time to do it

[@tyriantaylor711]

Demoralized, KP changes everything for Boston

[@ХорхеГарсия-э5е]

I think that what was massively overrated was the Wolves offense that this season a lot of times felt wanting, particularly halfcourt sets. Through 2 playoffs series they played a flatout bad defensive team with nearly zero rim protection in the Suns and then a potentially decent but in reality mediocre defense with nearly zero rim protection in the Nuggets. Then they go onto face a team with not only an above average defense but straight up one of the best defenses in the league for the last stretch of the season with two good centers that challenge everyone at the rim... and the series is 3-0 despite the Mavs being ice cold from 3p range in while Minnesota was on fire for 2 games and Dallas playing nearly half of the 3rd game without a center.

[@khackett7]

I think we are undervaluing how happy Kyrie is, or at least appears to be.

[@KramersCosmos09]

Tim Connely forgot to build a team for the rest of the NBA! LOL

[@d-free]

Mailbag: i used to enjoy your pod w/ Raj then one day it just seemed like it was discontinued. Can you elaborate on what happened there exactly? I know you explained some of the overall journey recently but i really liked state of the Lakers

[@zacharyharrison4917]

Why don’t you bring up why some of those stats for the Wolves were better? It’s obviously because Lively wasn’t there.

[@Rehkew]

Ant is the face the nba wants but Luka is the face of the nba.

[@Dleischner_22]

Jason, mailbag question for you. What do you think is the hardest part regarding prepping for these reaction videos you make or even going into a series where it is so eventually matched between both sides? Huge fan of the show!

[@michaelaiello9525]

Is the potential of Ant really so much greater than luka’s realized ability that it warrants more commentary? Why? In 5 poor showings, analysts are still talking more about Ant than Luka.. please explain?

[@riccardoferrazzo8283]

Denver really fucked it up this season. They should have won 4-1 or 4-2 against Minnesota. Instead they had 2 blackout games

[@carnivalgods4573]

With all due respect to Minny. They have played Dallas tough for three games. But given OKC has been Dallas's greatest challenge its fair to ask if Denver or Minny could beat OKC. With that in mind im certainly not buying Denver would beat Dallas in a series. Just saying.

[@scottrowlandrowland1098]

I wouldn't say Minnesota did a better job at protecting the rim as much as it was lively getting knocked out.

[@gnm4]

Man I hope Lively is ok

[@TulioMCano]

In terms of Ant and KAT at least I will say this. I would rather them fail loud and miss a bunch of shots than fail quietly and just hide in the corner. I think it will be good for the future for the team.

[@TheExtevan]

KAT is the reason why the timberwolves are losing. Nobody on the mavs matches up with him, and he isn't taking advantage of the mismatches. If KAT were dominating, the mavs would have been forced to play two bigs to counter his scoring.

[@jud9388]

Dallas points this game in the paint is less because Lively got hurt and they replace him with Powell minutes. 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@joseenrico4753]

That hounding defense that Twolves used against Nuggets does not work against this Mavs Team, Gobert is useless in this series, better go small if Twolves want to win at least 1 game

[@YNFYNYTSCROLL]

To sum up your advice for Ant: just be as good as Luka

[@tylerroe5175]

The Wolves are built strictly to beat Denver and nobody else. As a Nuggets fan that’s really infuriating

[@KAye633]

Well as a nuggets fan you can take peace with the fact that they are about to get swept 😂

[@tylerroe5175]

@@KAye633 That’s not even comforting lol I’m just thinking about how amazing of a series Mavs/Nugs would’ve been

[@matthewportner5771]

NBA MAILBAG: Hey Jason, started watching your channel at the beginning of the playoffs, great work man you really know your stuff. Question is, given the context of what has occurred so far in the playoffs, if you’re a lakers fan, don’t you think this is a disaster? We’ve seen how matchups dictate a series, so the fact they got Denver first round is tragic. It seems like they could beat anyone except Denver and they should have certainly lost on purpose in the play in against New Orleans. You let another team have to deal with Denver and take them out for you, which is exactly what happened. Whether you lose on purpose against the pels or not, you’re taking a huge risk of not really competing in the playoffs (Denver handled them).

[@757reaper]

I disagree. Lively is not better than him in totality but what Lively does better than Gaff makes a difference. The only BIG difference is Lively’s passer vision cause Gaff is a whole bull. Gaff is a stronger bull in the center mentally and imo fights for rebounds better (doesn’t mean he rebounds better but positions himself better after being boxed out). Lively outshines him on perimeter defense. Ant may have a good game tomorrow because Lively has literally shut him down at times. Gaf cannot move his feet quick enough laterally. So in some of these match ups D. Live is a better fit. If Gaff gets to work on his passing this summer now that he’s on a team that uses their center appropriately I could totally see that improving.

[@freddiecoleman7497]

Wolves did better in the paint after the Lively injury. I don’t think this game would’ve been close were it not for that. They’ll need him when/if they advance