How the same Dallas play bewildered the Wolves defense

How the same Dallas play bewildered the Wolves defense

all right welcome back it is watch along time this was a crazy playoff game let’s pick this up with about 8 minutes to go in the fourth Rudy gobear hits a free throw to put Minnesota up one Anthony Edwards is briefly on the bench there’s another dunk from the Mavs that’s their 10th dunk of the game and this is when they really started spamming this staggered screen pick and roll action at the top of the key you see goar comes out because they’re out of the drop coverage here Kyrie just gets by it and then there’s no backside help a lot of talk in game one about the drop coverage we’ll talk more about that Luca goes under the screen there at about 10 ft Anderson can’t hit the floater so we saw the Wolves up higher you see goar again nixing coverages putting two on the ball Jaden McDaniels length deters the shot there there’s two more on the ball and oh wow that is a crazy play by Nas Reed so Nas steps up and shows on the Kyrie pick here that means the short roll breaks free goar steps up but Anderson is pulled way out High because of Luca donic so that backside is open and NS with an amazing recovery to break that up PJ can’t quite quite finish on the floater so now the Wolves basically run that same staggered screen with Conley gets Nas Reed oh that is another three for Nas Reed and PJ Washington leaves him to get inside goar here on that roll even though Luc is in the lane easy read from Conley and an easy read three that’s Nas’s 73 of the game in eight tries so out of the timeout Kyle Anderson is on Luca that’s an adjustment here in the fourth quarter Jaden McDaniels is still in the game and another lob to one of the lob Brothers Gafford or Lively and it’s just a pin down basically floppy action for Luca on the Baseline he curls up and then takes that curl and even though goar is stepped up and re has inside position Nas Falls for this up fake from Luca who has been doing this all game long just manipulating these big Timberwolves Defenders into thinking that there’s a close out it’s an extraordinary sort of head fake and pass and he’s been getting Carl Anthony towns multiple times throughout this game he’s using his eyes to look one way leading to a close out on a shooter just to get a little space to hit a lob to one of the big men uh Chris Finch was just livid saying for the big men you have to stay inside remember 12 total dunks in this game for Dallas 11 of them from Gafford are Lively so back to the fourth similar action for Conley off a couple screens here and that’s a great block by gaffard off the drop and then Luca going for the touchdown gaffard hits it falling down uh he had actually missed his last couple of these Outlet passes leaves this one maybe a touch short as well but gaffer is just so much bigger he can go get it and then the crazy acrobatics on the finish and Dallas goes back up too very close game one very close game two 18o Minnesota lead earlier in this one but the Mavs ate that up quickly and Nas Reed again so they get Anderson initiating the pick and roll with Edwards on the bench again PJ Washington sinks in to help Luca on that switch with goar that leaves Nas and this time the hard close out to run him off the line and watch Rudy kind of seal Gafford looking for that old post up veteran Wy move we are back even at 96 the nas Reed Show continues Nas had 23 in this game to lead all Minnesota scores and we get a moving screen so Dallas challenges this it’s another great Challenge from Jason kid who I think has been on a heater with these challenges and it’s a successful challenge because you see Conley holding the waist there so no moving screen back to live action McDaniels back on Luca out of the stoppage with Anderson to the bench Edwards is back in he picks up his usual assignment for this series Kyrie Irving High pick and roll with Jones they get the switch they want on Conley a it’s good defense maybe a little too close in a foul let’s see Reggie Miller thinks there’s no Landing room I mean it’s the leg and the kick and the lower body contesting a fade away jumper Kyrie uses his size though over Conley and on that shot he gets the free throws earlier he hit a big Wing three because of that size Advantage so that’s part of the reason why they’re hunting that mismatch he’s only like 2 in taller but he plays much bigger Kyrie actually misses the first makes the second it’s one of two some Pitch action here trying to get that movement again from the defense that’s a nice pass from Jaden McDaniels it’s a really nice little set they put Edwards in the corner to occupy Jones pitch into the pick and roll now watch Jaden McDaniels after after the pitch he’s going to circle all the way out off a goar screen in the corner at the last second Luca realizes he’s got to get out to it that creates the help from Lively probably an overreaction or miscommunication goar rolls free and they get a dunk so it’s nice work out of the timeout for the Timberwolves to go back in front little isolation from Kyrie on the wing here backs down at Edwards lot of dribbling really physical good defense and Dallas’s process down the stretch of these games has usually been really good Kyrie thought he was fouled there usually if Kyrie thinks he’s fouled it’s foul no call no whistle that time another pick and roll with Conley and goar Edwards much more aggressive Off the Bench than he’s been earlier in this game three-point lead for Minnesota and now they go back to the luca5 pick and roll you see goar way up chisel’s inside the Wolves defense recovers here Kyrie looking for some Kyrie magic it’s dunk number 11 what oh man okay so Luc is waiting to see where the defense commits Nas comes off the corner so he hits PJ Edwards closes there KY doesn’t want the Deep one as Nas recovers and right now they’re pretty reset Nas reads fairly quick but Kyrie just enough to get through loses the ball then throws the lob in one motion I have no idea what qualifies as a self- pass but that is an incredible recovery Conley still initiating offense the patented right-handed floater so let’s see if Dallas goes back to that staggered screen yep same thing they’ve been running a lot here lately and McDaniels gets hit with the rear view foul but the thing for me to call out on this play is Jaden McDaniels who’s struggled navigating these screens throughout the series he goes under here which I think is a much better idea when the screen is 10t behind the three-point line but he still doesn’t really take a good angle to recover to Luca Luca gets him on his hip and from there it’s always trouble here’s the replay of that foul in case anyone wants to argue about it uh donic makes both free throws to cut it one it’s a starting lineup except Nas is in for cat who has struggled this game Edwards pick and roll the Mavs switch it though so it doesn’t really go anywhere they reset with Conley they switch with Lively now five on the clock the floater again that’s good defense by Lively and the Mavs take a timeout playing offense defense Jason kid going deep into the bag so he puts Luca on the bench for that possession gets way more Defenders out there then takes the time out to bring Kyrie and Luca back into the game for offense little thing down the stretch but I love that game management here is another lob this time we don’t get a DK but look it’s the same staggered pick and roll that they’ve run a ton of in the fourth quarter and I just don’t think you have a chance against Luca if you’re Jaden McDaniels going over the screen like this go bear with the drop coverage but he’s in no man’s land which means Conley is the only guy back and a nice little wrinkle on the play call out of the timeout from kid where KY clears the side with an exit screen we did an entire video on this called the evolution of roll that pulls Edwards out so he cannot tag and help on lively and even though Conley’s there he’s not inside Lively’s body once again goar is not back because he’s halfway up to Luca on the ball why is he halfway up to Luca on the ball because Jaden takes this really high angle 33 ft away I just don’t think this is the way to play this and the Mavs have gashed them with these kinds of actions looking for Edwards here off the curl he gets a ton of defensive attention that frees Conley this is a subtle one where when ant comes off this screen Lively not only steps up to help but PJ Washington is way over in the Gap to take away the drive so it’s a simple Boomerang pass right back to Mike Conley and look at all this space he has cuz PJ’s slid over goar again with the seal Kevin Garnett used to do that a lot there’s other players throughout history bill lambir that have kind of use that trick when their guards Drive goar is huge obviously couple times here in the fourth we’ve seen it here’s the same action for the Mavs Luca great pass to the corner and then the offensive rebound to get Kyrie in open three and it rims out okay so it’s a great offensive rebound but before that exact same setup where Irving’s going to go to the corner now you see Edwards saw it the first time so he tells Nas that he’s going to linger and help McDaniels is crowding donic this time gets over successfully goar comes way out Edwards is in the lane so this whole thing is much better defended at the point but Lucas still carves his way by McDaniels and then you’re forced to pick between the lob and the three I think Minnesota’s better off picking the lob that’s the Gambit that we talked about that OKC made they have done the opposite in this series now Edwards after that rest has PJ Washington on the wing here doesn’t want the screen gets by him free throws I I think Edwards at least when he’s right is extremely difficult to stay in front of and I’m not quite sure why he wasn’t pressuring the basket earlier in the game like this but either way on an island in isolation if you’re not going to send those those Defenders into the driving gaps it’s going to be difficult to contain him Kyrie this time running the same play except Kyle Anderson’s in for Conley so they can just switch it Kyrie just turns the corner he’s too quick for him I wonder if we’re going to see a coverage change in game three from Dallas Kyrie Irving missed both free throws uncharacteristic he’s an amazing free throw shooter now we get ant again this time it’s Jo which is a better match up for him for Dallas Jones slides and a think there’s a foul there on Jones it’s a five-point game with 90 seconds left he makes both free throws so Minnesota defensively takes goar off they switch everything you see Anderson gets out on Luca Irving on the drive now somebody’s got to be open it’s Kyrie ooh this is this is a big error Jaden McDaniels is overloading Luca’s side of the ball already ant slides over it’s a great simple decision from Luca to get Kyrie space to attack that close out and they’re in rotation when it gets back around to donic two guys are on Luca so someone should be open Mike Conley kind of loses track of what’s Happening sinks back into the lane and then doesn’t realize he’s choosing between Derrik Jones Jr above the break and one of the great shooters ever Kyrie Irving in the much shorter Corner that mental lapse is the difference in a game like this and of course Kyrie another money shot so now without go bear on they just switch it with Lively MAV switching a lot here near turnover and now we’re going to get another weird officiating thing I I’m not even going to get into this the short of it is the ball goes off McDaniel’s last as you can see but he was fouled beforehand but for some reason when you review these you can’t say that there was a foul I do not understand where that rule came from uh but nonetheless the Mavs get the ball back anyway back to this game goar is back in along with Anderson for Conley they switched the pick and roll this time to throw a different look at Luca Luca with the hesi gets to one of his spots me that was a great peel switch at the End by Nas Reed is once once he goes by goar Nas can step up and goar can recover to Lively to play the lob and Anderson has it again Minnesota feeling like they’re in the driver’s seat Edwards is going to milk the clock they switch it again with Lively gets to the left misses a couple passes and then throws it out of bounds tough night from Anthony Edwards and on this one in particular Nas Reed is wide open in the corner to ice the game McDaniels is open in the near corner there’s just confusion where Nas Is Lifting Up thinking he needs to give him a better passing angle Edwards throws it halfway in between not ideal but DK Lively continues to switch in these actions really really well stay down on the spins and up fakes for the most part the length bothers Anthony Edwards and so now Dallas with a ton of time 13 seconds left we all know where it’s going it’s going to Luca now the first thing to noce goar is on the court so it’s that same lineup we just saw so last time what they do they switched the pick and roll this time it’s a jump switch Rudy comes out hard gets on an island we go to the step back good night I mean that’s easy for Luca not just cuz he likes the step back but because he’s like a 90% shooter at the end of games and I think it’s the same coverage so Nas Reed is basically roaming off in the paint for help in case Rudy gets beat and if that’s the case to me then Rudy can’t play the drive so hard he’s got to be willing to funnel Luca into help in that position but I mean when the game is on the line the basket must look enormous to LCA donic so 3 seconds for Minnesota to steal it it’s Edwards do Reed gets a great look and it just rims out and a lot of people have said well why did they go for three they didn’t go for three it’s just that the catch is pushed out way too high you don’t want to catch 45 ft away with 3 seconds left now an has a driving lane here but when Derek Jones Jr helps the natural play is to kick to the shooter the shooter happens to be 28 ft away because of that spacing and that’s it two in a row for the Mavs the Mavs are two from the NBA Finals nice work from Jason kid down the stretch of this game 3213 and 10 from Luca Gafford and live once again 14 to 16 from the field most of those were dunks 11 dunks five blocks for Daniel Gafford switch defense from Lively hope you enjoyed this one to directly support us patreon.com thinking basketball and as always hope you’re having a great day

How did Dallas comeback in the 4th? Why was Luka on an island on the last play? This watch along reaction film breakdown details what the Mavs offense ran over and over down the stretch, why the Wolves defense is having a hard time stopping, Anthony Edwards decision-making, Rudy Gobert’s defensive coverages and more.

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