Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Dallas Mavericks: Western Conference Finals – Game 4
The Dallas Mavericks will have a chance to advance to the NBA Finals when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves in American Airlines Center on Tuesday.
Can the Wolves stay alive in the series?
The Minnesota Timberwolves have a season to remember, but they are in a situation no team has ever survived. They lost the first two home games of the series against the Mavs by a total of four points and came into the last quarter of Game 3 with the score tied but fell short in the end. Minnesota shot a solid 50.6% from the field but made only 9 of 30 three-point attempts. Anthony Edwards had the best game of the series, scoring 26 points on 11 of 24 shots from the field.
The Mavs can get the job done tonight
The Dallas Mavericks had a bumpy road to the Western Conference Finals, but once they got there, they took full control of the series. After winning both games on the road, all they need to do is finish the job at home, and they did exactly that in Game 3. The Mavs finished the game strong in the last quarter for a final 116-109 win. Dallas shot 59% from the field and 50% from deep for one of the best offensive performances of the season. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving scored 33 points each, and PJ Washington added 16 for the Mavs.
Betting Trends
Dallas has won 7 of their last 8 games overall, 12 of the last 15 games at home and 7 of the last 9 home games against Minnesota. The Mavs are 6-2 ATS in the last 8 games overall, 10-4 ATS in the last 14 games against teams from the Western Conference and 14-5 ATS in the last 19 games against teams from the Northwest Division. Dallas has played over the total point line in 9 of the last 13 games but have played under in 5 of the last 6 games played on Tuesday. The Timberwolves are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games. They are 2-7 ATS in the last 9 games overall, 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games against Dallas, and 0-6 ATS in the last 6 games against teams from the Southwest Division. Minnesota has played over the total points line in 6 of their last 8 games overall, in 12 of the last 17 games against teams from the Western Conference and 5 of the last 6 games played on Tuesday.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Dallas Mavericks are in an excellent situation going into Game 4 at home against the Western Conference Finals. All three of the previous games were very close, but the Mavs showed they had grown into a real contender and played their best basketball in clutch time. Luka Doncic has been completely amazing at getting the job done for the Mavs. The Timberwolves have their backs against the wall, and they have nothing to lose going into this game, as no team has ever come back from being 3-0 down in a playoff series. Minnesota will not back down in this one and will leave everything they have on the court, but still, that will not be enough, and the Mavs will close out the series.
