Phoenix falls to Minnesota at home and is on the brink of elimination, Luka Doncic contributes to series turnaround against Clippers

The Phoenix basketball team was unable to defeat Minnesota at home, losing 109:126 and are on the verge of elimination after their third defeat in the series. Luka Doncic helped the Mavericks turn the series around against the Clippers.

Edwards pulled Minnesota to victory

Minnesota was able to break through the Suns’ home environment. Which is probably the deciding factor in this series. So far, the rule in the duels between these teams is that the visiting team does not win. However, the Timberwolves have been clearly showing throughout the series that they are the much better team in this series and are deservedly going for advancement.

The home team’s star trio was once again outplayed by Minnesota’s top scorer Anthony Edwards. He practically never left the floor in this game. In 43 minutes on the court, he put 36 points on the Phoenix basket. He also recorded 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals.

Edwards also had a lot of support from his teammates. As 6 other players scored at least 10 points. Phoenix was traditionally led by the proven trio of Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker, who put 76 points in the basket for the Timberwolves.

However, the Timberwolves set the pace from the very beginning, gradually increasing their lead slightly each quarter. And the decisive factor was the third quarter, which the Suns lost by 16 points and the game was practically decided. By breaking through the Suns’ home wall, Minnesota took a decisive step towards advancing to the next stage of the elimination battles.

Doncic was instrumental in turning the series around for Dallas

In the game Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Clippers (101:90) the home team with a great consolidated game turned the series in their favour.

Luka Doncic was the biggest contributor to the victory, as he once again hit a triple-double. Even in the playoffs, he clearly shows that he will be Nikola Jokic’s most serious candidate for the MVP award.

He contributed to the Mavericks’ victory with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists, and was complemented by the team’s second leading scorer Kyrie Irving with 21 points. The Clippers’ starting five failed this time, with Leonard and George scoring just 16 points and the likes of Russell Westbrook even staying at a single point.

Dallas thus took a 2-1 series lead after the opening loss. In tonight’s game, they took full advantage of the Clippers stars’ shooting ineptitude. Even James Harden needed 44 minutes to score 21 points. Luka Doncic hasn’t had a single bad game in the series so far and if the Clippers stars don’t get their act together, this series won’t be as even as expected.

Source: NBA