Many thought the Dallas Mavericks would replicate the Boston Celtics’ sweep in the East Finals. Instead, they found Anthony Edwards’ Minnesota Timberwolves extending the series by winning Game 4, leaving All-Star guard Luka Doncic to blame himself for the loss.
After a frustrating Game 3 loss, the Wolves found a way to extend the series by getting the 105-100 win . Anthony Edwards led the pack by dropping 29 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. Karl-Anthony Towns came up big during the game’s final stretch and finished with 25 points on 80 percent shooting from deep. Rudy Gobert added 13 points and 10 rebounds in almost 40 minutes on the court.
For his part, Doncic led Dallas with a triple-double of 28 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists. Kyrie Irving had 16 points and four assists, but committed four turnovers. Meanwhile Jaden Hardy came off the bench to contribute 13 points in the Mavs’ Game 4 loss.
The win gave Minnesota a chance to make history as the first team to come back from a 0-3 hole in the playoffs. It also prevented the Anthony Edwards-led squad from getting swept like what happened to Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers.
Luka Doncic Takes Blame For Dallas Mavericks’ Game 4 Loss To Minnesota Timberwolves
After the game, Doncic faced the media and answered questions from reporters about their Game 4 loss to the Timberwolves. In a post shared by Landon Thomas on X, the Slovenian star revealed the true reason why they lost.
“Luka Dončić said Game 4 was on him, he stated he didn’t give enough energy and they have to do better as a team,” Thomas tweeted.
While the Mavericks’ All-Star guard took the blame, the numbers he posted in Game 4 told a different story. His team only shot 42 percent from the field and 35 percent from deep, while the Wolves connected 52 percent of their field goals and 45 percent of the three-pointers they took. This means that Dallas will have to shoot better if they want to advance to the NBA Finals.
The series will go back to Minnesota’s home court for Game 5. Hopefully, Doncic and the Mavs come together to handle their business against the Timberwolves quick or become the first team in NBA history to lose after gaining a 3-game lead.