Published on: Mar 25, 2022 10:39 am IST|Updated on: Mar 25, 2022 10:39 am IST
MIN vs DAL Dream11: So, it is official now that the peerless Phoenix Suns have notched the top seed in the Western Conference and it implies that the rest of the teams will be worried about facing the Suns during the Playoffs, they are the only team to win 60 games so far and they have a huge daylight when compared to the second-placed Memphis Grizzlies. Therefore, the Western Conference will have a lot of catching up to do once the Playoffs arrive and the task looks tall when it comes to fending off Phoenix. The two teams who meet here in the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Dallas Mavericks are meanwhile in a crucial period of the season.
The Timberwolves have incurred two losses in a row which means that they still have plenty of work to do if they want to make it to the sixth seed in the West and ensure that they qualify for the First Round of the Playoffs straightaway. The team will face the Dallas Mavericks here, a squad that is known for its fierce resistance.
Talking about the Dallas Mavericks, they stand a more than decent chance of nabbing the fourth spot and thus, at least seize the home-court advantage for the First Round. They are likely to end up in the fourth/fifth seed which means that if the Suns grab the first-round series, they are most probably going to end up squaring off against them, so their work is also cut out this season.
Host: Minnesota Timberwolves Visitors: Dallas Mavericks Match Timing: 26 March, @ 05:30 AM Venue: Target Center
The Mavericks and the Timberwolves met just a few days ago in a clash where the Mavs won 110:108. Dallas overcame an off-night from Doncic where he shot just 5/17 and the team found big-time productions from Powell, Dinwiddie, and Bullock to fend off the Wolves late in the game. The Timberwolves shot below 40% in the encounter as the Mavericks’ defense once again came through.
As stated above, the Dallas defense has been the backbone of the winning run this season and the team has the ability to close out the games. One of the major developments has been the inclusion of Spencer Dinwiddie, who has bolstered an otherwise struggling bench. For the Timberwolves, it will be crucial to get their offense going against elite defenses because they themselves are not an elite defensive team and engage in shoot-out type of games. Thus, there is a need to shoot a high percentage.
For the Mavericks, the mantra is to make the opponents work hard on offense while relying on Doncic to be an enforcer. Doncic has immense help at the Point Guard spot alongside Brunson and Dinwiddie, thus the trifecta of Dinwiddie, Doncic, and Brunson provides three quality ball-handlers, shot-creators, and playmakers. The Timberwolves also have a strong trifecta at three different positions. They have Anthony-Towns at the Center, Anthony Edwards as the wing, and D’Angelo Russell as a perimeter threat.
One huge plus for the Mavericks has been that since trading Kristaps Porzingis, both Reggie Bullock and Dorian Finney-Smith as the Forwards have picked up the scoring and the same goes for Center Dwight Powell, who refuses to get outmatched at the Center position. For instance, in the last game versus the Mavericks, he dropped 22 points on 100% shooting percentage to match up against Karl’s 22, which took away the advantage in the middle. The Mavs defense also shut down Edwards and Russell for the most part. The Wolves did outrebound Mavericks, especially on the offensive boards, so yes, they can take that into account when they face the Mavs again.
Although the Timberwolves did hold Luka Doncic to a low percentage, it might not happen again because Luka knows how to adjust. Therefore, the Minnesota squad missed their chance to take advantage of an off night from Luka, which is also a testament to a newfound scoring depth in the Mavericks squad as Bullock, Dinwiddie, Powell, and Brunson all made major contributions. The Timberwolves’ bench is slightly better but Dinwiddie can negate that with his high production. So, how will it play out when the two squads square off again? The Timberwolves are strong at home and the Mavs have showcased some troubles on the road but when you have Doncic, you can overturn various odds.
Dallas Mavericks (5th in West) | Minnesota Timberwolves (7th in West) Games: 73 | 74 Wins: 45 | 42 Defeats: 28 | 32
Dallas Mavericks Team News
Mavericks Expected Starting Five Two-way wing: SF: Reggie Bullock Defensive Big Forward: PF: Dorian Finney-Smith Middle: C: Dwight Powell Ball-handling Guards: PG: Jalen Brunson | PG: | PG: Luka Doncic
BENCH: Josh Green, Spencer Dinwiddie, Sterling Brown, Marquesse Chriss, Maxi Kleber, Frank Ntilikina, Boban Marajanovic, Trey Burke. Minnesota Timberwolves Teams News:
Timberwolves Expected Starting Five Athletic Wing: SF: Anthony Edwards Middle: PF: Jarred Vanderbilt | C: Karl Anthony-Towns (Game-Time Decision) Point Guards: PG: D’Angelo Russell | PG: Patrick Beverley
BENCH: Jaden McDaniels, Malik Beasley, Naz Reid, Taurean Prince, Jordan McLaughlin, Josh Okogie, Jaylen Nowell, Nathan Knight, Jake Layman.
Luka Doncic(DAL) Points: 15 Rebounds: 06 Assists: 10 Steals: 01 Luka is an MVP candidate and his play has ensured that the Mavericks remain in contention to seize a top-four spot. The all-around herculean Guard has mostly been in 25+ points, 6-10 rebounds, and 8-11 assists range. He is usually the favorite for Star/Pro Player in the Dream 11 NBA Fantasy scenario. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 44-66
Karl Anthony-Towns(MIN) Points: 15 Rebounds: 11 Assists: 02 Blocks: 03 Karl is vital to the team success of the Wolves and he has kept on being a huge factor on the scoring and rebounding end. The Center has mostly been in 21-27 points, 10-13 rebounds, and 1-2 steals/blocks range these days. He is a Game-Time Decisoion Expected Fantasy Points Range: 30-48
Spencer Dinwiddie(DAL) Points: 26 Rebounds: 04 Assists: 06 Steals: 01 Blocks: 01 Spencer has produced the above numbers in absence of Doncic and even in his presence, he has showcased the tendency towards a big production. The Guard has mostly been in 20-23 points and 3-6 assists range. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 23-36
Anthony Edwards(MIN) Points: 19 Rebounds: 04 Assists: 04 Steals: 01 Sophomore wing Anthony has already become one of the best finishers at the rim and keeps on unlocking fresh moves and an improved perimeter shooting. The young un has mostly been in 19-25 points, 4-6 rebounds, 3-5 assists, and 1-3 steal range. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 26-38
Jalen Brunson(DAL) Points: 28 Rebounds: 04 Assists: 03 Jalen got a bunch of touches in the last game with Luka being out but the Mavericks have improved since this gritty guard has been a starter. Jalen has mostly been in 14-19 points range. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 18-26
D’Angelo Russell(MIN) Points: 06 Rebounds: 03 Assists: 07 Lefty Russell’s efficiency is just a little down compared to the earlier phase in the season but he is still a quality playmaker and knockdown perimeter shooter. He has usually managed 16-19 points and 6-9 assists a game. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 24-33
(Most recommended) PG: S Dinwiddie, P Beverley, L Doncic(SP) SG: A Edwards(PP) SF: D Finney-Smith PF: T Waller-Prince, R Bullock C: D Powell
(Optional) PG: L Doncic(SP), D Russell SG: M Beasley, SF: J Nowell PF: T Waller-Prince, R Bullock C: D Powell, K Towns(PP) (team may be updated before the game)
Why wouldn’t we wanna see the high-scoring and rising Wolves take on the scoring threat of Luka? But in a poor piece of news for India-based viewers, this match can’t be watched on streaming services JIO TV and Voot, the two official streaming platforms for viewers in India. How can you catch this amazing battle? Dive into the NBA League Pass and purchase the annual subscription, a portal that can get access to all live games while you also can get the full game replay if you can’t catch the live stream. To know the scores, stats, and news, go to the official website of the NBA.