MINNEAPOLIS (AP) 鈥� Few teams can match the size of the Minnesota Timberwolves with their trio of towers in NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, four-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns and Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid.
The revamped Dallas Mavericks showed they might just be able to stand tall against Minnesota.
Dereck Lively II, the 7-foot-1 rookie Dallas acquired on draft night after he was selected 12th overall, and 6-10 Daniel Gafford, who was a trade-deadline pickup in February, had a sizeable impact around the rim Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, a for the Mavericks.
鈥淚f anything, with our team and our defense, the way that we鈥檙e built, the length and size that we have, we can鈥檛 allow points in the paint,鈥� Towns said. 鈥淥ur biggest advantage in the league is the three-big lineup that we have. We can鈥檛 allow that. So we've got to be tougher in there.鈥�
With Lively leading the way off the bench, altered the game with its rim protection and rebounding. The Mavericks outrebounded the Timberwolves 48-40, had eight blocks and held a 62-38 advantage on points in the paint.
鈥淲hen you have that many points in the paint against the No. 1 team defensively, we鈥檒l take it, if that鈥檚 what you鈥檙e going to give us,鈥� Dallas coach Jason Kidd said.
Lively finished with nine points and 11 rebounds, including four offensive boards, to go with two blocks. Gafford added nine rebounds, with four on the offensive end.
鈥淚've got to do a better job on the rebounds,鈥� said Gobert, who had just seven rebounds. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 let these guys just get offensive rebounds. I鈥檒l be better.鈥�
With Lively and Gafford inside, Minnesota didn鈥檛 try to attack the paint. The Timberwolves took 49 of their 89 shots from 3-point territory. Towns finished 6-of-20 shooting, including 2 of 9 from 3.
Wolves star Anthony Edwards, who bullied his way to the rim at many points during the first two playoff series, also settled to shoot from the outside.
Twelve of Edwards鈥� 16 shots were from 3. He ended up 6 of 16 for the game and 5 of 12 from deep while scoring 19 points. Gafford and Lively sank close to the basket 鈥� as opposed to Phoenix鈥檚 Jusuf Nurkic and Denver鈥檚 Nikola Jokic staying a bit higher 鈥� and that threw off the precocious 21-year-old.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e down the floor. The big man, he鈥檚 not super high up like the last two series,鈥� Edwards said. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 really know what to expect. So, came off and was open a bunch of times, took the shots. I鈥檒l make them next time and live with it.鈥�
So will the Mavericks.
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AP NBA:
Brian Hall, The Associated Press
