Mavericks thump Timberwolves, advance to NBA Finals; UEFA Champions League final preview

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Good morning everyone, but especially…

LUKA DONCIC, KYRIE IRVING AND THE WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPION DALLAS MAVERICKS

The end of game 4 saw Luka Doncic he almost tore his shirt out of frustration and Kyrie Irving lose your perfect record in close games.

The start of Game 5 saw them emphatically demonstrate that this series would not last any longer. O Independents‘star guard duo exploded for 36 points each (and surpassed the Timber Wolves 44-40 in the first half) as Dallas cruised to a 124-103 victory to advance to the NBA Finals, where the Celts wait.

What else can we say about Doncic? He is a cold killer, a relentless bully who can win any confrontation and destroy any defensive mistake. He dissected the league’s best defense with 32.4 points per game, 9.6 rebounds per game and 8.2 assists per game and won the Magic Johnson’s Western Conference Finals MVP.

He wasn’t just the best player in the conference finals. Doncic is claiming the title of best player in the leagueSam Quinn writes.

• Quinn: “He has, to this point, checked all the other boxes. He was the league’s leading scorer this season. His defense has improved significantly, from poor to acceptable and even good in the right contexts. His pick-and-roll dominance has reached historic levels. Minnesota has thrown every coverage imaginable at him in the Western Conference Finals. He’s solved them all within a few possessions. He’s been the best lob passer in NBA history for years. “

But it’s not just Doncic. The Mavericks made bold moves and fortune favors the bold.

• Irving rededicated himself to the defensive end and became a more natural offensive option in his second year alongside Doncic.
• Dallas sank the last two games of last season to increase his chances of retaining the first-round pick. They saved it and got it Derek Lively IIwho has it was fundamental.
• The Mavericks were willing to admit Grant Williams didn’t adapt well and got not one but two contributors at the trade deadline in PJ Washington It is Daniel Gafford. In Lively and Gafford, Doncic has the lob threats he thrives with, and in Washington, Dallas acquired a capable 3-point shooter and a two-way wing.

And now here we are. The Mavericks, with their superstar backcourt and strong offenses around them, are four games away from the championship. What a race – which is far from over.

Honorable mentions

And it’s not such a good day for…

THE WOLVES OF MINNESOTA

Let’s first give the Timberwolves their due. They had the best defense in the NBA. They formed a team with the Defensive Player of the Year and the Sixth Man of the Year. And in a super-competitive Western Conference, they won 56 games, the second most in franchise history.

In the postseason, they destroyed a star-studded team Suns team in four games and defeated the defending champion Nuggets in seven. They watched Antonio Eduardo become a star. They won multiple playoff series for the first time since 2004. It was arguably the franchise’s most successful season.

Losing in five games doesn’t change any of that, but it’s certainly not good. And it shows that the difference between a really good team and a championship-caliber team lies in the thin margins — Minnesota lost the first two games by a combined four points — and in the vast, vast oceans.

Game 5 showed that the Timberwolves need more firepower. Edwards is electric, but he’s not quite good league guy, writes Brad Botkin. AND Karl-Anthony Cities was nowhere to be found for much of the series, another failure on a suspect playoff resume. This – plus a very expensive list – will lead to trade rumorsSam watches.

• Quinn: “If the Timberwolves did Jaden McDaniels ($22.5 million salary for next season), naz reid ($14 million) or Mike Conley ($10 million) available in cap dumps, they would have a line of suitors around the block. … Rudy Gobert is the Defensive Player of the Year on a team designed to win defensively. He’s not going anywhere. Edwards is the face of the franchise. That pretty much leaves Towns. … Minnesota’s problem is not unique. Half the league is panicking about the contracts given out before this new CBA made them toxic. The sport is changing and no one knows exactly what it is turning into. All we can say for sure is that winning a championship with a top player performing in the playoffs like Towns did against Dallas is functionally impossible.”

For a team coming off a great season and with so much young talent, Minnesota has a lot of questions this offseason.

Not-so-honorable mentions

Panthers take Rangers to the brink of elimination

O Panthers are heading home with a chance to punch their ticket to a second consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearance. Florida surprised a raucous crowd at Madison Square Garden, rallying and then stopping the guards3-2, to take a 3-2 series lead.

• After a scoreless first period, New York took the lead early in the second through a shorthanded Chris Kreider to escape. It was the Rangers’ sixth goal this postseason, their most since 2008. red wings.
• The visitors wasted no time in reacting, with Sam Bennett gliding a perfect passage to Gustav Forslingwhich he finished with a silky smooth backhand.
• Anton Lundell put Florida up 2-1 midway through the third period in an explosive past Igor Shesterkinand Bennett’s empty net made it 3-1. Alexis Lafrenière responded with 50 seconds left to give the Rangers some life, but it was too late.
• Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 25 of 27 shots, standing especially high against New York’s power play, while Shesterkin was an unlucky loser after stopping 34 of the 36 shots he faced.

UEFA Champions League final preview

Everything culminates in this moment. One of the most unlikely finalists of recent times, against the most glorious club in the UEFA Champions League. Borussia Dortmund faces Real Madrid with the title of “champions of Europe” on the line tomorrow at the historic Wembley Stadium, which has already hosted lots of amazing endings. You can to attend on CBS and/or Paramount+, and we’ll have you covered all day in various broadcasts.

Real Madrid has 14 Champions League titles (we sorted them all) and Pardeep Cattry predicts they will reach 15th place tomorrow. We have Full expert predictions here.

If Borussia Dortmund wants to join the list of most unlikely winners of all timethey will need Gregor Kobel to continue his brilliant goalkeeping. The story says Goalkeeper heroics rarely translate into titlesbut don’t exclude the oppressed, notes Chuck Booth.

• Cabin: “While it makes sense that goalkeepers who are under a lot of pressure rarely win the Champions League final, Borussia Dortmund would be the perfect team to break that. With one of the best goalkeepers in the history of the competition on the other side of the pitch, Kobel will need to be on his game and more to win Thibaut Courtois at the final.”

Here’s more:

What are we going to watch this weekend

Friday

Game 5: Oilers in the Stars8:30 pm on TNT

Saturday

Sky in fevernoon on ESPN
UEFA Champions League Final: Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid3pm on CBS and Paramount+
USWNT x South Korea5pm on TNT, truTV
Angels in Mariners or Reds at Cubs or Cardinals at Phillies7:15 pm on Fox
Game 6: Rangers vs. Panthers8pm on ABC

Sunday

Cardinals at Phillies7pm on ESPN2
Wings on the Lynx7pm on CBS Sports Network
Freedom Fever7pm on NBA TV
Game 6: Stars on the Oilers8pm on TNT