Sizzling Mavericks have a healthy chance to go up 3-0 on Wolves

Savvy sports fans know that there really are only two things you can hope for during the NBA playoffs.

To be healthy and playing your best.

Health for the Mavericks is a moving target. Some folks watch them and see Luka Dončić dragging around on one leg because of his sprained right knee.

Others see his endless string of triple-doubles and realize that, in Luka’s universe, winning is a better cure-all than any bandage or treatment.

As for playing your best, the Mavericks have nailed it.

Against some of the best competition the NBA has, the Mavericks are 10-4 in the playoffs, including 2-0 against the Minnesota Timberwolves as they return home in a commanding position for two games at American Airlines Center, starting Sunday night (7 p.m. tip).

Win that and Tuesday’s Game 4, and the Mavericks will be headed to the NBA Finals for the third time in franchise history.

And while they must continue to keep their eye on the ball and worry about the next game, not the big picture, finishing off the Timberwolves in a hurry would be like gold for Dončić to give his knee a little R-and-R.

But back to the part about the Mavericks playing well. They have won four playoff games in a row and have seemed to have an answer for every challenge.

It’s been a thing of beauty to watch. Particularly on the defensive end of the floor. Just look at the job they’ve done on Minnesota’s young star Anthony Edwards. In Game 1, he had 19 points on 6-of-16 shooting.

On Friday in Game 2, he had 21 points on 5-of-17 shooting. Those productions are far below the 31 points he averaged in the first-round sweep of Phoenix or the 27.7-point norm in the seven-game grinder against Denver in the second round.

Some of the other Timberwolves – Naz Reid and Mike Conley, most notably – have hurt the Mavericks. But their defense has been sound.

And remember, the Mavericks limited Edwards to nine points in two of the regular-season meetings between the teams.

Clearly, the work of Derrick Jones Jr. and the helping, collapsing defense on Edwards need to get some love.

Many folks have accused the Wolves of “unforced errors” late in Game 2, when Jaden McDaniels lost the ball out of bounds on the baseline with 47 seconds left and Edwards threw a pass into the front row with 12.8 showing.

But the Mavericks’ scrambling defense had something to do with both.

Poise was at an all-time high for the Mavericks. That made up for a sketchy first half.

“We weren’t playing Mavs’ basketball,” coach Jason Kidd said. “We weren’t rebounding the ball. And we weren’t covering the three as well as we talked about it. Reid was 7-for-8.

“But I thought the group responded to the conversation we had at halftime. Work the game. We knew we couldn’t get it all back in one shot. It was a great job of executing and finding a way to win on the road.”

Coming back from 18 points down (16 in the third quarter) is never easy. But the Mavericks have proven they can do it with equal parts scoring and defense.

That’s set them up for a big-time opportunity in Game 3 on Sunday. Win and take a 3-0 lead in the series? NBA history says the series is over. No team has ever rallied from a 3-0 deficit to move on.

The way the Mavericks are playing, who’s going to doubt that they have a healthy chance to make it happen?

Here’s a few other things to know about in Game 3:

• While he’s been clearly hobbled, Dončić has been nothing short of fantastic in the first two games, averaging 32.5 points with a 30-point triple-double in Game 2. He’s had triple-doubles in four of the last five games, four of them victories. In short, he’s must-see right now. It’s like he can smell the big stage, seeks it out and devours it. And, of course, he made the shot of the playoffs (so far) with a three-pointer with three seconds to play that won Game 2. “You see the same things that happen with some of the greatest players that have played,” Kyrie Irving said. “They take on a lot of pressure and they love it. They relish it. And they love answering that call.”
• The Mavericks would love to finish this series without a trip back to Minneapolis, if they have to go to a Game 5, they’ll be secure in the knowledge that they are 6-2 on the road in these playoffs.
• Dereck Lively II has announced himself as a force during this playoff run. In the 14 postseason games, the Mavericks are a whopping plus-108 when Lively is on the floor. That includes plus-67 in the last four games, all wins. For the playoffs, the 7-1 center is aveaging 8.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and shooting 64 percent from the field.
• The Timberwolves haven’t been able to unleash their best asset through the first two games. Their No. 1-ranked defense in the regular season allowed the Mavericks to score 108 and 109 points in the first two games. While that’s only four more total points than the Wolves have scored, it’s been good enough for a 2-0 series lead. In Game 2, the Mavericks shot 48.8 percent from the field, a big number for this stage in the playoffs. By comparison, the Wolves held Denver under 100 points four times in the seven-game series they played in the second round. The game-winning play was a prime example of how the Mavericks have handled the Minnesota D. “We know what their strengths and weaknesses are,” Lively said. “And we try to exploit them. We know who to put in screens. We know who not to put in screens.”
• Wolves’ center Rudy Gobert welcomed a baby into the world during the Denver series and while that’s a major home-life change, it hasn’t impacted his performance in the conference finals. “For us, he’s been great,” coach Chris Finch. “No real changes in his approach, his preparation. He puts a lot of time in, on the court, in the weight room. I can’t speak for his home life, but he’s been great. He’s super-excited about it all. And he’s been a real pro.” Gobert has averaged 14 points and 8.5 rebounds, but the four-time defensive player of the year has only three blocked shots, half as many as Daniel Gafford.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (0-2) at MAVERICKS (2-0)

When: 7 p.m., Sunday.

Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas.

TV: TNT

Radio: KEGL 97.1 FM The Eagle; 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)

X: @ESefko