2024 NBA Season

[MK-74]

I was expecting Dallas to finish the series last night, but it didn't happen, the series is now 3-1.
Minnesota played well last night and won, Dallas was bad and lost, they didn't play as I expected.
The next game will be played in Minnesota, Minnesota can win the game with the support of the fans, but I hope this does not happen.

[OgNasty]

A day with no basketball. A reminder that we are nearing the end of the season and will soon be months without a game. Good thing the drama already seems to be starting surrounding LeBron James. Jimmy Butler is another prospect for some offseason movement. Hopefully we get some good storylines going into next year.

[Fredomago]

Finally, the Wolves managed to win. They had fewer field goal attempts but made more than the Mavs. However, they need to improve their free throws; they are really bad at it. They only managed to make 16 out of 25. Although they have managed to extend the series, they still need to win three in a row to reach their first NBA Finals. That's kind of hard to do against the Mavs unless they show what they did in the first and second rounds of the playoffs. Then, they do have a chance, but currently, I'm not very optimistic.

Still to far from the reality of beating the Mavs. As what was showed in the screen when I watch the game, there are only 4 teams in the history of NBA that went to game 7 from 0-3 deficit, but of course, no team had succeeded to win yet, but let's see if they'll make a history, they just need to win one game at a time.

The loss of Lively was really huge, but it was a close game actually until KAT can't miss on the outside, if he play like that in game 5, then there's a likelihood that the series will be extended in 6 or even in 7.

It's just a matter of time in the like of Towns being a good shooter to finally found his touch and his rhythm in this game. And he could be reading all the criticism that he got from this series, specially in game 3 wherein he didn't hit any threes. Same with Edwards as well, they seems to be carrying the game until in the last minutes where the Mavs took over. But not in this game though, both of them shot very well and there are no crucial turnover and they didn't choke. But still a long way to go for them to pull the impossible to comeback from a 0-3 deficit and win the series.

That's the good description both KAT and ANT didn't choke for this game, we witnessed their adjustments and finally they both managed to bring something and carry the loads to win this game, they avoided being swept but still a long way to go, one game at a time to make it close in these series they need everything to avoid taking that early vacation and failed to move forward for the finals, let see if what adjustments they'll going to made on their next game.

[Questat]

A day with no basketball. A reminder that we are nearing the end of the season and will soon be months without a game. Good thing the drama already seems to be starting surrounding LeBron James. Jimmy Butler is another prospect for some offseason movement. Hopefully we get some good storylines going into next year.

It's a good thing that the Mavs vs. Wolves series was extended; otherwise, we would have to wait until June 6 for the NBA Finals. One day off is better than multiple days off.

There's a rumor that LeBron wants to play with his son, which is why he might leave the Lakers. But let's see first if Bronny will be able to get drafted into the NBA. I thought his stats were not good, but recently his name has been hyped because he has had some great games in drills that he participated in. If LeBron and Bronny play together, would it be the first time in NBA history?

[wiss19]

This loss is definitely a TERRIBLE news for Dallas. Not that they are going to lose, I honestly believe that Dallas will win and go to finals anyway, but the fact is that if it was like one win for Dallas one for Wolves and it went to like seven series then it's just a good matchup.

But, this was already 3-0, and unlucky for Dallas that Boston already swept Pacers, and that means Dallas going to meet up against a very well rested Boston when the time comes. So next game Dallas has to win, there is no argument to be made about anything otherwise, if they lose this one too then they are going to be super tired against Boston, but if they win then they could just go home and rest a bit and at least they would not have fatigue when they are playing.

[CLS63]

At a night which Anthony Edwards,Gobert and Towns had foul problems it was really a very big surprise for me that Dallas lost home. I think that the winner of this matchup is going to be the NBA champions. I was a little lucky last night. I made a bet on Towns and he managed to make my bet win by playing great in offense despite having foul problems. (25 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist)

[jossiel]

At a night which Anthony Edwards,Gobert and Towns had foul problems it was really a very big surprise for me that Dallas lost home. I think that the winner of this matchup is going to be the NBA champions. I was a little lucky last night. I made a bet on Towns and he managed to make my bet win by playing great in offense despite having foul problems. (25 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist)

I thought that he wouldn't be able to make such contributions but then, he pumped out and showed who the real KAT on that game.

Congratulations to them and to you too.

This loss is definitely a TERRIBLE news for Dallas. Not that they are going to lose, I honestly believe that Dallas will win and go to finals anyway, but the fact is that if it was like one win for Dallas one for Wolves and it went to like seven series then it's just a good matchup.

It's not yet a terrible thing for Dallas. If this prolongs and goes to 7, they'd see it when the next match they will have is going to be another win for the Wolves.

[wheelz1200]

This loss is definitely a TERRIBLE news for Dallas. Not that they are going to lose, I honestly believe that Dallas will win and go to finals anyway, but the fact is that if it was like one win for Dallas one for Wolves and it went to like seven series then it's just a good matchup.

But, this was already 3-0, and unlucky for Dallas that Boston already swept Pacers, and that means Dallas going to meet up against a very well rested Boston when the time comes. So next game Dallas has to win, there is no argument to be made about anything otherwise, if they lose this one too then they are going to be super tired against Boston, but if they win then they could just go home and rest a bit and at least they would not have fatigue when they are playing.

I think the being tired thing is over rated.  One could say they are more game ready if Boston sits for a week or so.  If these guys ain't up for a finals game and are tired this is the wrong sport.  They will get enough days off but fatigue at this point in the season shouldn't be a factor if it's based off one or 2 games more than your opponent.

[OgNasty]

This loss is definitely a TERRIBLE news for Dallas. Not that they are going to lose, I honestly believe that Dallas will win and go to finals anyway, but the fact is that if it was like one win for Dallas one for Wolves and it went to like seven series then it's just a good matchup.

But, this was already 3-0, and unlucky for Dallas that Boston already swept Pacers, and that means Dallas going to meet up against a very well rested Boston when the time comes. So next game Dallas has to win, there is no argument to be made about anything otherwise, if they lose this one too then they are going to be super tired against Boston, but if they win then they could just go home and rest a bit and at least they would not have fatigue when they are playing.

I think the being tired thing is over rated.  One could say they are more game ready if Boston sits for a week or so.  If these guys ain't up for a finals game and are tired this is the wrong sport.  They will get enough days off but fatigue at this point in the season shouldn't be a factor if it's based off one or 2 games more than your opponent.

Tired may not be the right word, but after playing hard like this in so many games a couple days off to let your injuries heal can be a blessing.  On the other side of that though, having a few days off when your opponent is still going hard can come back and bite you if the team comes out flat and rusty.  There's always excuses and anything could happen, but if it were me and I was a few rounds into the playoffs, I'd be thankful for each day I got to let little cuts and muscle strains heal.

[yazher]

I think the being tired thing is over rated.  One could say they are more game ready if Boston sits for a week or so.  If these guys ain't up for a finals game and are tired this is the wrong sport.  They will get enough days off but fatigue at this point in the season shouldn't be a factor if it's based off one or 2 games more than your opponent.

They will be given more time to train and practice to execute a perfect plan to defeat the Mavs that's the factor for me and we all know that right now after the Mavs have lost to the the Timberwolves at home, they gonna be having really hard time with the Celtics if they still struggling to put out the Wolves at once. because the Boston Celtics are more ferocious on their offense and they know exactly how to win against them and with more time to train for it, then the Mavs chance to taste a championship with its current rosters is hard to tell right now.

[dwyane36]

This loss is definitely a TERRIBLE news for Dallas. Not that they are going to lose, I honestly believe that Dallas will win and go to finals anyway, but the fact is that if it was like one win for Dallas one for Wolves and it went to like seven series then it's just a good matchup.

But, this was already 3-0, and unlucky for Dallas that Boston already swept Pacers, and that means Dallas going to meet up against a very well rested Boston when the time comes. So next game Dallas has to win, there is no argument to be made about anything otherwise, if they lose this one too then they are going to be super tired against Boston, but if they win then they could just go home and rest a bit and at least they would not have fatigue when they are playing.

If I'm not mistaken, the first game of the finals series is scheduled for June 6 only. So, it seems to me that the Mavs don't have to worry about the Celtics being more rested by then. By the way, it's worth noting that one loss can't yet be called terrible news for the Mavs, given that there's only 4.5% that the Wolves can recover from a 1-3 deficit in this series.

[danherbias07]

A day with no basketball. A reminder that we are nearing the end of the season and will soon be months without a game. Good thing the drama already seems to be starting surrounding LeBron James. Jimmy Butler is another prospect for some offseason movement. Hopefully we get some good storylines going into next year.

And speaking of Jimmy Butler, that movie promo for the Bad Boys: Ride or Die was really hilarious. Oh and Lionel Messi is also there.
Jimmy Butler is seeking an extension with the Miami Heat to max his contract although he was not there during their last series games against Boston Celtics.

Lebron James. I saw one video on YouTube that Lebron will probably opt out of his contract, not because he will leave the Lakers but only to reconstruct his contract with them. Maybe 2 or 3 more years in the league? I doubt he will leave the Lakers, I've seen rumors that he will but that's not going to happen. With how he performed this season, the Lakers will still have him because he is still their best player. They will probably have a new coach again and maybe some newly added players but Lebron will remain and so will AD.

[yahoo62278]

This loss is definitely a TERRIBLE news for Dallas. Not that they are going to lose, I honestly believe that Dallas will win and go to finals anyway, but the fact is that if it was like one win for Dallas one for Wolves and it went to like seven series then it's just a good matchup.

But, this was already 3-0, and unlucky for Dallas that Boston already swept Pacers, and that means Dallas going to meet up against a very well rested Boston when the time comes. So next game Dallas has to win, there is no argument to be made about anything otherwise, if they lose this one too then they are going to be super tired against Boston, but if they win then they could just go home and rest a bit and at least they would not have fatigue when they are playing.

If I'm not mistaken, the first game of the finals series is scheduled for June 6 only. So, it seems to me that the Mavs don't have to worry about the Celtics being more rested by then. By the way, it's worth noting that one loss can't yet be called terrible news for the Mavs, given that there's only 4.5% that the Wolves can recover from a 1-3 deficit in this series.

The Celtics will have a minimum of 10 days rest before the Finals start. There's some that say a rested team is not as sharp as a team that just played. I'm not sure I believe that, somehow I feel like the Celtics are mentally prepared. They shit the bed last year and are out to prove themselves this year. Will they win it all? IDK, Dallas is pretty damn good. I expect the series to go at least 6 games.

[LogitechMouse]

A day with no basketball. A reminder that we are nearing the end of the season and will soon be months without a game. Good thing the drama already seems to be starting surrounding LeBron James. Jimmy Butler is another prospect for some offseason movement. Hopefully we get some good storylines going into next year.

A day with no basketball? Who cares?
Like you said, there are a lot of dramas everywhere, and even though the season will end a few weeks from now, dramas from different players will always be there. That's why this thread is very active. We always have lots of things to talk about, right?

Now with regards to LeBron James, correct me, but I think he already opted out on his contract to become a free agent. Now the question is "Will he follow Bronny on which team he will get drafted?" One article said that Bronny turned down more than 10 teams to focus playing on Los Angeles and Phoenix. This alone for me is maybe enough to say that either Lebron will go back to the LA alongside his son, or the Suns will make a super-super team with Beal, Durant, Booker and Le-GM. If both Bronny and Le-GM will go to Phoenix, Le-GM will take a significant pay-cut because the other 3 players alone cover around $150M of the total cap space already.

Anyway, I don't care about Butler for now. I want to focus on Le-GM, his antics, and where he will be playing next season.

[OgNasty]

A day with no basketball. A reminder that we are nearing the end of the season and will soon be months without a game. Good thing the drama already seems to be starting surrounding LeBron James. Jimmy Butler is another prospect for some offseason movement. Hopefully we get some good storylines going into next year.

A day with no basketball? Who cares?
Like you said, there are a lot of dramas everywhere, and even though the season will end a few weeks from now, dramas from different players will always be there. That's why this thread is very active. We always have lots of things to talk about, right?

Now with regards to LeBron James, correct me, but I think he already opted out on his contract to become a free agent. Now the question is "Will he follow Bronny on which team he will get drafted?" One article said that Bronny turned down more than 10 teams to focus playing on Los Angeles and Phoenix. This alone for me is maybe enough to say that either Lebron will go back to the LA alongside his son, or the Suns will make a super-super team with Beal, Durant, Booker and Le-GM. If both Bronny and Le-GM will go to Phoenix, Le-GM will take a significant pay-cut because the other 3 players alone cover around $150M of the total cap space already.

Anyway, I don't care about Butler for now. I want to focus on Le-GM, his antics, and where he will be playing next season.

I don’t believe LeBron has opted out of his contract. His agent Rich Paul slipped up and referred to him as a free agent during an interview, but he misspoke. It does say a lot about his mind state though. Obviously he’s searching for a new deal somewhere, either to try and win a championship somewhere else or to pressure LA into drafting Bronny. I don’t think Phoenix is a legitimate option unless they found a trading partner for Beal.

[Finestream]

... either to try and win a championship somewhere else or to pressure LA into drafting Bronny.

I think this is more likely than the other speculations. Bronny needs to be in the NBA and that is already a big fulfillment for Lebron as a father, getting bigger contract is not much of a fulfillment as he is getting that in most of his seasons since he is a superstar, and becoming a champion once again, I think that would come if it's not too late for him but getting his son in the NBA playing with him, that's a bigger deal for him.

[inthelongrun]

I was expecting Dallas to finish the series last night, but it didn't happen, the series is now 3-1.
Minnesota played well last night and won, Dallas was bad and lost, they didn't play as I expected.
The next game will be played in Minnesota, Minnesota can win the game with the support of the fans, but I hope this does not happen.

Losing Dereck Lively made a huge impact on that defeat. There was Kleber returning but he made little impact on his return. Luka's low FG percentage though always affects the team. Based on my observation, Luka is always the heart and soul of this team. He plays below 40% FG and they'll lose right away even if Kyrie plays good. So it is important for Luka to perform at this best in this next game especially that it is happening in Minnesota. The presence of Lively is also a huge factor because they need every good big man of the team to stop and match Minnesota's twin towers and Reid.

[TravelMug]

We've seen great players when their backs is against the wall, they responded with big games and so we have seen it from ANT, who scored 29 points and then KAT with a big 25 points. So at least they keep their hopes alive and doesn't want to be swept by the Mavs. And this sums up everything for the Mavs,

“This one hurts. We were expecting to be happy at the end of the game.

Now we’re pissed off.”

- Gafford

So let's give the Wolves at least a fighting chance in the next game. For sure this is going to be massive and fans showing up in their support for the Wolves to force this series a big longer.

There's nothing more to lose on the Wolves so they're giving it all. The primary mission was to avoid getting swept. And so they did it. I was still thinking that Dallas will once again overpower Minnesota in the dying minutes of the fourth quarter but the Wolves held on. KAT burying that huge three and Edwards' jump shot sealed the game. Dallas did a late scare but luck was also not on their side. Luka had a bad night in terms of his FG. And once again, Dallas losses every time Luka shoots below 40%.

Luka though try to make it close, with a 4 point play but he missed the FT so the Mavs losses this game. In the post game interview, ANT says to someone, that he will be back here, talking about  AA Center. So it means that they will try to win the next game at Minnesota and then go back again in Dallas for game 6.

So let's see how it is in game 5, the Wolves are riding in a momentum win, and they just needed that to bring their confidence and obviously to stay alive int this series. Boston though could be scouting the game and see what play this teams are running.

[Dave1]

I was expecting Dallas to finish the series last night, but it didn't happen, the series is now 3-1.
Minnesota played well last night and won, Dallas was bad and lost, they didn't play as I expected.
The next game will be played in Minnesota, Minnesota can win the game with the support of the fans, but I hope this does not happen.

Losing Dereck Lively made a huge impact on that defeat. There was Kleber returning but he made little impact on his return. Luka's low FG percentage though always affects the team. Based on my observation, Luka is always the heart and soul of this team. He plays below 40% FG and they'll lose right away even if Kyrie plays good. So it is important for Luka to perform at this best in this next game especially that it is happening in Minnesota. The presence of Lively is also a huge factor because they need every good big man of the team to stop and match Minnesota's twin towers and Reid.

Lol, there was a meme wherein they are calling Kleber because it seems that Maxi is lost when he came back and play again. But yeah, Lively is a big part of the core now of Dallas and him not playing really contributed to their lost, and if I'm not mistaken, he is average double digit in the playoff series and then his hustle, rebounds are solely missed.

I do agree that Luka is their franchise player and if he is shooting good, everyone in the team is also doing better. But if he has a bad shooting night, the team itself suffers, with the likes of PJ Washington and Kyrie who is a great shooter in the last 5 minutes are missing their shots. It's like Luka woes trickle down to the team as well.

[Questat]

I was expecting Dallas to finish the series last night, but it didn't happen, the series is now 3-1.
Minnesota played well last night and won, Dallas was bad and lost, they didn't play as I expected.
The next game will be played in Minnesota, Minnesota can win the game with the support of the fans, but I hope this does not happen.

Losing Dereck Lively made a huge impact on that defeat. There was Kleber returning but he made little impact on his return. Luka's low FG percentage though always affects the team. Based on my observation, Luka is always the heart and soul of this team. He plays below 40% FG and they'll lose right away even if Kyrie plays good. So it is important for Luka to perform at this best in this next game especially that it is happening in Minnesota. The presence of Lively is also a huge factor because they need every good big man of the team to stop and match Minnesota's twin towers and Reid.

Lol, there was a meme wherein they are calling Kleber because it seems that Maxi is lost when he came back and play again. But yeah, Lively is a big part of the core now of Dallas and him not playing really contributed to their lost, and if I'm not mistaken, he is average double digit in the playoff series and then his hustle, rebounds are solely missed.

I do agree that Luka is their franchise player and if he is shooting good, everyone in the team is also doing better. But if he has a bad shooting night, the team itself suffers, with the likes of PJ Washington and Kyrie who is a great shooter in the last 5 minutes are missing their shots. It's like Luka woes trickle down to the team as well.

Be positive now on Lively as he is upgraded to questionable in game 5.

Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Questionable for Game 5

Lively (neck) is questionable for Thursday's Game 5 against Minnesota.

Lively missed Game 4 due to his sprained neck, but he does appear to be trending in a positive direction. We should get another update following Thursday's morning shootaround, but if Lively is able to return, Daniel Gafford's minutes would dip and Dwight Powell could fall out of the rotation entirely.

Update like this is big, and there's a big chance that he will play. I think he was just fine in game 4 but they didn't push him to play to give more rest, but after what happened, Dallas can't afford to still sit him and watch the team loss.

I guess at this point I'm taking mavs +5, because if Lively will indeed play, that will move to +3.5 at least.
https://www.oddsshark.com/nba/odds