2024 Playoffs- 3rd Round: Minnesota Timberwolves - Dallas Mavericks- MAVS WIN 4-1!

[bubbler86]

Is the ESPN Lively Iffy report just part of an injury report game being played by the Mav's?

[audiosway]

Man, this place is dead the day after a loss, lol.

Is it just me, or is the post season kind of in a weird rhythm? I mean, as elated as I was after Game 3, I'm pretty numb to the Mavs right now. It's like...I'm just ready for this series to be over. The loss was disappointing, but I'm not really worried about the series result, so we're just kind of in a "enough, already. Let's get to the finals" sort of place. I doubt I'd be in that headspace if it was 2-2.

Does anyone else feel that way?

Same here. Just waiting for the inevitable. With the pace that they had been winning I figured this would go 6. I think it's over tonight. 7 days of rest will be fine. Any more than that is too much this time of year I think. Boston may come in a little rusty. I think it will be like a punch in the face to them at first anyway since they haven't faced that tough of competition so far.

I think the Mavs may have looked ahead the other night. Time for them to put Minny away.

[MaxiThreeba]

I've only got three keys for this game:

- Derek Lively
- Kyrie Irving
- Luka from Game 5 of OKC series

Lively definitely isn't 100% and neither is Maxi.  But if Maxi can just give you enough minutes to help Lively be at his best possible late game then that's a big plus for the Mavs.  Gafford in drop is a nightmare vs Edwards when you have to get stops.

Kyrie needs to be Kyrie for 4 quarters.  The Wolves can throw a lot of length at him just like OKC did, but Kyrie still had good Kyrie looks that he needs to hit.  No playing possum from Kyrie tonight!  Luka and Kai in attack mode from the jump ball puts a ton of pressure on a Wolves defense that fouls so damn much they eventually will find themselves in foul trouble even with the loose whistle we are bound to see.

The TPups are going to foul the hell out of Luka because its allowed.  McDaniels, Ant and Anderson are going to slap, grab and push.  Gobert is going to take his sneaky BS cheap shots.  No amount of palms up at the refs is going to change the fact that the majority of those are going to go uncalled.  If Luka can channel that inner joy and calmness he found after the OKC Game 4 stinker (similar poor finish to Wolves Game 4), then my confidence level in closing this thing out is sky high.

[SleepingHero]

Is the ESPN Lively Iffy report just part of an injury report game being played by the Mav's?

It does feel like that a bit.

There was a video circulating around of Lively speaking with Dumont and his family and was moving his neck fine demonstrating his range of motion. 

I think they held him out for caution just in case. I think Kidd is taking a page out of the Lue handbook wants to fuck with the Wolves potential game plan. 

Difference between Lively and no Lively is huge.

[HoosierDaddyKidd]

I've only got three keys for this game:

- Derek Lively
- Kyrie Irving
- Luka from Game 5 of OKC series

Lively definitely isn't 100% and neither is Maxi.  But if Maxi can just give you enough minutes to help Lively be at his best possible late game then that's a big plus for the Mavs.  Gafford in drop is a nightmare vs Edwards when you have to get stops.

Kyrie needs to be Kyrie for 4 quarters.  The Wolves can throw a lot of length at him just like OKC did, but Kyrie still had good Kyrie looks that he needs to hit.  No playing possum from Kyrie tonight!  Luka and Kai in attack mode from the jump ball puts a ton of pressure on a Wolves defense that fouls so damn much they eventually will find themselves in foul trouble even with the loose whistle we are bound to see.

The TPups are going to foul the hell out of Luka because its allowed.  McDaniels, Ant and Anderson are going to slap, grab and push.  Gobert is going to take his sneaky BS cheap shots.  No amount of palms up at the refs is going to change the fact that the majority of those are going to go uncalled.  If Luka can channel that inner joy and calmness he found after the OKC Game 4 stinker (similar poor finish to Wolves Game 4), then my confidence level in closing this thing out is sky high.

Look, I love Luka's game as much as the next guy. He's a tremendous talent. But let's call a spade a spade.  Luka gets to the line as much as anybody in the league. His incessant crying and bitching to the refs, is a major turnoff, and he expects to get every freakin foul call known to man.  But he always wants the benefit of the doubt. Most refs deem hand slaps, and other incidental fouls, as play on fouls unless they are blatant. He also acts like he never commits fouls.  If he would quit barking at the refs so much, he would probably get more calls. Refs don't want to be showed up in games, and they give you some rope if you stop being in their ear all game.

[bubbler86]

It does feel like that a bit.

There was a video circulating around of Lively speaking with Dumont and his family and was moving his neck fine demonstrating his range of motion. 

I think they held him out for caution just in case. I think Kidd is taking a page out of the Lue handbook wants to fuck with the Wolves potential game plan. 

Difference between Lively and no Lively is huge.

I am torn on Lively playing if he is iffy so hopefully it is indeed some hi-jinks.  Aggravating the injury would be worst case.

[SleepingHero]

@townbrad
If you follow my TL, Lively said after this workout that playing is not guaranteed. He paused his workout to speak briefly to us, then reporters were ushered out and Lively’s workout with Sean Sweeney continued.

[MaxiThreeba]

Look, I love Luka's game as much as the next guy. He's a tremendous talent. But let's call a spade a spade.  Luka gets to the line as much as anybody in the league. His incessant crying and bitching to the refs, is a major turnoff, and he expects to get every freakin foul call known to man.  But he always wants the benefit of the doubt. Most refs deem hand slaps, and other incidental fouls, as play on fouls unless they are blatant. He also acts like he never commits fouls.  If he would quit barking at the refs so much, he would probably get more calls. Refs don't want to be showed up in games, and they give you some rope if you stop being in their ear all game.

No problem with calling him out on that.  I get the dudes frustration because he takes a beating, especially in the playoffs.  Plenty of fouls go uncalled every game both ways, sometimes more one way than the other. 

I do absolutely believe Luka takes more uncalled contact on a nightly basis than anyone else on the floor.  There’s reasons for that.  He has the ball more than anyone.  He’s so damned big and strong he can play through a lot of contact.  He tries to sell contact as a result of those first two factors which honestly can make the refs job harder.  

My point is really that the dude is going to get hacked and pushed and grabbed all night.  To your point, bitching and moaning about it changes nothing.  Accept that the contact is coming.  Accept that it isn’t all gonna get called.  

Luka showed he can be a zen like assassin in Game 5 vs OKC…oddly enough his lowest FTA game of playoffs I believe.  That’s what I want to see.

[SleepingHero]

@espn_macmahon
Dereck Lively II remains questionable, per Jason Kidd. “He looked good” in warmups, Kidd said.

Luka Doncic is good to go.

[Winter]

Noah Weber
@noahweber00

Dereck Lively II is available for Game 5.

[SleepingHero]

The Athletic (@TheAthletic)
Luka Dončić is the first player in NBA history with at least 150 REB, 150 AST and 50 3-PT FG in a single postseason.

H/T @OptaSTATS

[SleepingHero]

praetorian jack (furiosa boyfriend) (@SnackPr0tein)
Mavs intentionally extending the series so Luka can’t have 9 days off and gain 15 pounds, chess not checkers

[EGrant23]

I said this in the game thread, but I'll say it here too; thanks for letting me browse and post a little bit during this series. I always enjoy getting to know what the vibe of my squad is from other team's forums. I was literally unable to hang out on the Suns/Nuggets forums and I have grown a serious disdain for Nuggets fans from that series. I absolutely cannot say the same about this forum, except a few of you  . I also left that series not being able to stand a few players on the Nuggets, and once again, can't say the same about the Mavs (outside of Hardy for some reason, maybe it's his antics after every basket he makes, I don't know?) and this goes without saying, but if it wasn't for Luka's interactions with the official, I think he'd be my favorite player to watch in the league. With that said, I'll certainly be pulling for you all against the Celtics.

[fifteenth]

I said this in the game thread, but I'll say it here too; thanks for letting me browse and post a little bit during this series. I always enjoy getting to know what the vibe of my squad is from other team's forums. I was literally unable to hang out on the Suns/Nuggets forums and I have grown a serious disdain for Nuggets fans from that series. I absolutely cannot say the same about this forum, except a few of you  . I also left that series not being able to stand a few players on the Nuggets, and once again, can't say the same about the Mavs (outside of Hardy for some reason, maybe it's his antics after every basket he makes, I don't know?) and this goes without saying, but if it wasn't for Luka's interactions with the official, I think he'd be my favorite player to watch in the league. With that said, I'll certainly be pulling for you all against the Celtics.

Like I said, stick around, pal.

[SleepingHero]

I said this in the game thread, but I'll say it here too; thanks for letting me browse and post a little bit during this series. I always enjoy getting to know what the vibe of my squad is from other team's forums. I was literally unable to hang out on the Suns/Nuggets forums and I have grown a serious disdain for Nuggets fans from that series. I absolutely cannot say the same about this forum, except a few of you  . I also left that series not being able to stand a few players on the Nuggets, and once again, can't say the same about the Mavs (outside of Hardy for some reason, maybe it's his antics after every basket he makes, I don't know?) and this goes without saying, but if it wasn't for Luka's interactions with the official, I think he'd be my favorite player to watch in the league. With that said, I'll certainly be pulling for you all against the Celtics.

You've been nothing but respectful and humble, even in a loss. 

Always welcome around here bud! It's always a good thing to talk hoops!

[MarkAguirreWrathofGod]

I said this in the game thread, but I'll say it here too; thanks for letting me browse and post a little bit during this series. I always enjoy getting to know what the vibe of my squad is from other team's forums. I was literally unable to hang out on the Suns/Nuggets forums and I have grown a serious disdain for Nuggets fans from that series. I absolutely cannot say the same about this forum, except a few of you  . I also left that series not being able to stand a few players on the Nuggets, and once again, can't say the same about the Mavs (outside of Hardy for some reason, maybe it's his antics after every basket he makes, I don't know?) and this goes without saying, but if it wasn't for Luka's interactions with the official, I think he'd be my favorite player to watch in the league. With that said, I'll certainly be pulling for you all against the Celtics.

Right on man! Been great having you around. And for the record, we hate Luka’s bitching to the refs too!

[SleepingHero]

https://twitter.com/LukaUpdates2/status/...2451300777
@lukaupdates2

Wolves: "Bring ya ass"

Luka: (click the link for the video)

[SleepingHero]

[SleepingHero]

What a moment between these two.

[fifteenth]

SleepingHero gets the Kamie for providing us with all the good Mavs stuff from around the internet!