GAME 1 2024 PLAYOFFS DIRKIE: LUKA!!!!

[Chicagojk]

I voted Kyrie. Him getting off to a hot start was huge. Also, it may have played a small part in ANT being exhausted in the fourth quarter.

Luka deserves praise as does Lively.

[F Gump]

62-38 in paint points, though. I'll admit against Minnesota's enormous front line I didn't have that on my bingo card

This is not the Mavs team people think it is. 

It's informative that DAL won this game by attacking MIN at their supposed strength, and beating them there. You are the dominant team in the middle, and we have to work around that? Umm no. The Mavs also won the rebounding battle by a sizable margin.

That mindset is as impressive as the result.

[Winter]

This is not the Mavs team people think it is. 

It's informative that DAL won this game by attacking MIN at their supposed strength, and beating them there. You are the dominant team in the middle, and we have to work around that? Umm no. The Mavs also won the rebounding battle by a sizable margin.

That mindset is as impressive as the result.

While most of the media watched Minnie take down Denver, about all we heard was about how good the Minnie defense was and how their size would be a problem for Dallas. None of that was actually true. Dallas looked like a better defensive team and better at controlling the rim.

The other thing that will play out I think, is that Dallas has much better floor generals. The decision-making was significantly better on the Dallas side. Both Luka and Kyrie see the chessboard better than anyone on Minnesota. I thought Conley would be more of a factor, but he's not managing the court the way Luka and Kyrie do.

[SleepingHero]

Wolves had a 4 pt lead and Luka takes a 3 point shot.. Luka misses that we probably lose the game..Has to be Luka with Kyrie as close second.

That 3 Luka hit after the Edwards 3 was one of the most cold blooded shots in his career. He then goes down and does it again with that mid range over McDaniels. 

BABAYAGA IS UNSTOPPABLE

[Chicagojk]

That 3 Luka hit after the Edwards 3 was one of the most cold blooded shots in his career. He then goes down and does it again with that mid range over McDaniels. 

BABAYAGA IS UNSTOPPABLE

Yeah, that three was huge.  tough shot too.  Minny had just made a run and got a 4 point lead.  If he missed that shot, we see that game slip away.

[ballsrchr]

Rain, thunderstorms, no electricity, no internet, choppy phone service.

I gotta say that watching a game on a phone while sitting in the truck for power is not the ideal venue. The service was very choppy, but I did get to watch the entire 4th quarter without interruptions.

The Mavs are a scrappy team with pretty good mental toughness. This was another very good team win--which I think is great. Some people get down on Gafford, and he does have some faults, but he plays a a good role starting. The Gafford/Lively combo works. Lively is going to be a great starting stud down the road a bit. Hardy is learning--I am very encouraged by his play.

My Dirkie goes to Luka. Honorable mention to Kyrie, and Lively--in that order.

[Arioch]

Yeah, he is great. I had the same feeling. Despite Mavs being behind for most of the game and won by a couple of points, they felt like a much better team in the game. Another point - in-game commentators were speaking about Edwards being exhausted in the fourth, yet all we are listening to for his entire career is how out of shape Luka is. Perhaps, it is just not easy (even possible?) to carry team on both ends. Even for an athlete like Edwards.

This.

After Reggie Miller repeatedly (and correctly) pointed out how Ant looked gassed in the 4th quarter *and then* Ant actually confessing to fatigue in the after-game interview, I don't want to hear s*** about Luka's "conditioning" ever again. Luka has played 13 playoff games this postseason to Ant's 12. He's averaged 42 minutes a game in those games to Ant's 40. But while 22-year old Ant was getting his ass handed to him by a 32-year old, Luka took over the game in the 4th quarter with 15 points *and* 2 steals *and* 1 block

[michaeltex]

Instead of "bring yo ass", the new slogan is going to be "take yo ass back to Texas".

[Hypermav]

I broke the tie!

[speedkilz88]

I broke the tie!