Udonis Haslem Warns Mavs: Don’t Let the Timberwolves Get Another One

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NBA Playoffs - Minnesota Timberwolves at Dallas Mavericks
Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Timberwolves forced Game 5 in the Western Conference Finals with a win in Dallas on Tuesday night. The Mavericks couldn’t close out the series and now Chris Finch’s team has belief. It isn’t just the fans or those in the locker room that could see them doing the unthinkable though.

Tuesday night’s game against Dallas was a must-win for the Minnesota Timberwolves or their season was going to come to an end. Facing Kyrie Irving, who had previously gone a perfect 14-0 in close out games, Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards got the job done.

Udonis Haslem Sees Timberwolves in Seven

Now a win in Game 5 at Target Center would have them one step closer to making the history that Mike Conley predicted after game 3. And if they can snag a win tonight and bring the series to 3-2, there’s a lot of belief out there that they will be on their way. Take some of the panelists on ESPN’s Get Up, for example…

Alan Hahn: “What we saw [in game 4] was what I expected for a good six or seven games. I did not expect this to be 3-0. Nobody did. Minnesota didn’t, I don’t think Dallas did. I think Dallas was like, ‘hey, we’re up 3-0’. They didn’t even expect it. But they are. That doesn’t mean this series is over, just because the history tells us nobody comes back from 3-0. Somebody has to, and if a team is going to, it’s a team that is built on the way Minnesota has played this year, which is defense.”

Jason Williams: “Kyrie, before the game, was like, ‘yeah, this is their Super Bowl, this is just another game for us’. That’s what Kyrie said. I think the mentality was like, ‘we got four more to close this out’. I think we will see a different Dallas team next time around.”

Udonis Haslem: “Cap.”… “Hell no, you want to win that game. You want to close out. You do not want to give a team another opportunity, especially when it’s that close of a margin down the stretch and you have guys like KAT and Ant who have not outplayed guys that they are very capable of outplaying. Now, they’ve outplayed them once. You give these young guys some confidence, you give these Thundercats some confidence now going back home. I think Dallas is in a little more trouble than they want to admit.”

Related: Chris Finch Claims NBA Refs Do Not Respect Timberwolves Enough

Udonis Haslem called cap on Kyrie Irving’s comments about this being the Minnesota Timberwolves Super Bowl while the Dallas Mavericks viewed it as any other game. Giving a team life, and an opportunity to believe, is the last thing any competitor should want to do. “I think Dallas is in a little more trouble than they want to admit.” 

Should the Timberwolves push it to the brink, two of the final three games are in Minnesota, and Chris Finch hasn’t seen his team wilt on the road either. Mike Greenberg chimed in and suggested that while Dallas may win, this series is far from over.

“I will bet you a whole bunch of UD’s money that there will be a Game 6 in this series.” With Williams trying to still push the idea that the series is over, Haslem wasn’t quite willing to pick the Wolves down 3-1. But… don’t let these Thundercats get another one.

“I’ll tell you what, if it goes to Game 6, I’m going to take Minnesota. If they get one more win, I’m taking the Thundercats.”

Udonis Haslem – Get Up (ESPN)

Losing Isn’t Something These Timberwolves Do

All season long the Minnesota Timberwolves have been one of the best teams in the NBA. Obviously that means they have racked up the wins. The level at which they win has been impressive though. Avoiding a sweep on Tuesday night, Minnesota hasn’t had a four-game losing streak since December 28, 2022.

Related: Anthony Edwards Should Be Mic’d Up for Every Game

Losing three times in a row this season has happened just twice, and they both came in the last two rounds of the playoffs. Of course the Timberwolves can’t afford to lose any of their next three games, but playing one at a time, Edwards, Towns, and the rest of the roster will be dialed in like something we may have never seen before.

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