NBA

Tillman wasn’t with his team for Game 1 because of personal reasons but will be available on Thursday. The reserve big man might give Boston some spot minutes off the pine but isn’t expected to play a significant role.

As has been the case throughout this season, Reid gave the Timberwolves solid production off the bench in Wednesday’s Game 1. Unfortunately for the Timberwolves, their bench outscoring the Mavericks reserves by a 28-14 margin didn’t mean much. Kyle Anderson added 11 points, two rebounds, two assists, and one 3-pointer in 17 minutes, shooting 5-of-8 from the field. While Reid and Rudy Gobert (12/7/1/1/2 in 38 minutes) recorded full stat lines, the struggles of Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards were too much to overcome. Minnesota will look to tie the series in Game 2 on Friday night.

Minnesota’s top two offensive weapons struggled on Wednesday, with Towns shooting 6-of-20 from the field and Anthony Edwards slightly better at 6-of-16. KAT shot 51% from the field in the second-round series against Denver, and he was a 52.6% shooter in four regular-season meetings with the Mavericks. However, each meeting with Dallas was played before the trade deadline, so Wednesday was KAT’s first look at a Mavericks lineup that included PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford. If the Timberwolves are to win this series, Towns has to be more efficient than he was in Game 1. Game 2 is on Friday night.

After shooting 6-of-9 from three in the final two games of Minnesota’s second-round series win over Denver, McDaniels stayed hot in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. He made six of his nine attempts from deep against the Mavericks while also leading the Timberwolves in scoring. On a night when Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns combined to score 35 points on 12-of-36 shooting, McDaniels’ performance kept Minnesota within striking distance. He and the Timberwolves will look to even the series at one-all on Friday.

On Wednesday, Edwards made his first appearance in the Western Conference Finals, and he was not his usual self offensively. He settled too often in Game 1, with 12 of his 16 shot attempts coming from beyond the arc. By comparison, only 36% of Edwards’ shot attempts in Minnesota’s second-round series against Denver were 3-pointers. The good news for DFS players is that he offered solid production in the rebound and assist categories while making five 3-pointers. However, if Minnesota is to win this series, they need Ant-Man to do more work off the dribble than he did on Wednesday. Game 2 is on Friday night.

As has been the case on most nights since the trade deadline, Lively and starting center Daniel Gafford combined to provide solid production for the Mavericks in Wednesday’s series opener. The rookie out of Duke was more effective as a rebounder and shot blocker, and his ability to make plays out of the short roll is why Lively played more than Gafford. And DG was solid in his time on the court, accounting for 10 points, nine rebounds, and one blocked shot. While Lively and Gafford averaged similar minutes in the second round (23.0 per game for the former, 23.5 for the latter), don’t be surprised if the former plays a little more in this series.

Irving missed all three 3-point attempts in Wednesday’s series opener but was excellent in the paint. The Mavericks guard shot 8-of-13 in the paint, including 5-of-7 inside the restricted area. And after consistently getting off to slow starts during Dallas’ second-round series against Oklahoma City, Irving set the tone on Wednesday. He shot 11-of-14 from the field in the first half, scoring 24 of his 30 points. Look for a more aggressive Irving moving forward, as he has the most playoff experience of any player in the Mavericks rotation.

Doncic saved his best for last in Game 1, shooting 5-of-8 from the field in the fourth quarter as the Mavericks erased a seven-point deficit to win. He’s scored 29 or more in each of Dallas’ last three games, surpassing the 30-point mark twice. Doncic continues to play through nagging ankle and knee injuries, and he’s only failed to crack 40 minutes once this postseason. That was Dallas’ 30-point win over the Clippers in Game 5 of that first-round series, and he played 39 minutes that night. Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals is on Friday night.

Conley is officially available after the Timberwolves listed him as questionable on the initial injury report. The veteran point guard takes his usual place in the starting lineup alongside Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Rudy Gobert.

The All-NBA first team offered no surprises, including the top four vote-getters for Most Valuable Player. Jokic, who won his third MVP in four seasons, led the way, with Gilgeous-Alexander, Doncic, and Tatum next. Rounding out the squad was Antetokounmpo, named All-NBA for the eighth time in his career. SGA earned All-NBA first-team honors for the second straight season. He and Jokic were the only unanimous selections.