Showing posts with label Anthony Edwards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anthony Edwards. Show all posts

Wednesday, 10 July 2024

TEAM USA BASKETBALL IS FACING INTERNAL PROBLEMS AS PAST FRICTIONS ARE RESURFACING DURING THE OLYMPICS

Past "beefs" between players are resurfacing


Team USA basketball is facing internal problems as past frictions resurface during the 2024 Olympics


 Team USA basketball for the Paris Olympics 2024 is without a doubt full of talent. The most elite NBA players are set to compete against teams like Spain, Canada, and Serbia for the gold medal. But with this amount of talent and competitiveness comes with a roller coaster where past "beefs" between players can

LeBron James and Steph Curry are two of the most competitive athletes in the world, and now they are on the same team. These two future NBA Hall of Famers are the captains of this elite squad and must set the example of leaving past frictions behind to achieve the ultimate goal. Their challenge is to inspire their teammates to do the same, but it seems that in the case of two particular players, the competition is not being taken as it should.

The USA National Team scrimmages are heating up

All eyes are on Devin Booker and Brandin Podziemski after an awkward end to the latest practice. The team has been grinding in Las Vegas, getting ready for the upcoming Paris Olympics, and the tension is palpable.

The main team, featuring stars like LeBron James, Joel Embiid, and Anthony Edwards, has been training alongside younger players from the Select Team. A video making the rounds on social media shows players shaking hands and hugging it out after a game, but one moment stole the spotlight. Devin Booker and Brandin Podziemski walked right past each other, completely ignoring one another.

Fans were quick to react, buzzing about the potential beef between the two. Many believe the tension dates back to 2022, when the Golden State Warriors faced off against the Phoenix Suns, and Klay Thompson taunted Booker with the "four rings" gesture.

Whatever the cause, the drama is real, and these two guards are set to clash many times in the seasons ahead. Podziemski, just 21, is entering his second year in the NBA, while 27-year-old Booker still has plenty of years left to make his mark.

- Jasser Akle

Saturday, 6 July 2024

USA MAN'S BASKETBALL OLYMPIC TEAM ARRIVES FOR CAMP I LAS VEGAS


 LAS VEGAS (AP) — There’s something that Kobe Bryant once said that has stuck with U.S. men’s Olympic basketball coach Steve Kerr and seems especially important now.

It was about how other nations have made big strides in basketball, how the gap between the rest of the world and the U.S. is closing and how that’s been a great thing for the NBA. And Bryant’s response, paraphrased, was basically, “so what?”

His point: If everyone else is getting better, then the U.S. better find ways to do the same.

“Maybe we’ll show that one to the guys,” Kerr said. “I love that. And it has to be our attitude this summer.”

After months of planning, it’s time for the U.S. Olympic team — one that will go to the Paris Games later this month seeking a fifth consecutive gold medal — to take the floor. The first practice for the squad is Saturday, the start of a four-day training camp before its exhibition opener against Canada on Wednesday.

Players began arriving Thursday in Las Vegas; Stephen Curry was the first to check in for camp, perhaps underscoring how anxious he is for what will be his first Olympics. The 12 players have all known each other for years, but the task of becoming a team starts in earnest Saturday.

“I feel like it starts when it gets there, because that’s when you really see each other eye-to-eye,” said Bam Adebayo, who is seeking his second gold medal after winning one at the Tokyo Games three years ago. “You have those conversations, you have those many conversations within what we’re going through, what we’re trying to do. And that’s when it’s time to really be honest about what we want to do.”

That part is easy: Win gold.

The how-to-do-it part, that’s the key.

Last year brought another humbling World Cup experience for the U.S.; after finishing seventh in 2019, the Americans were fourth at Manila. But the argument — or justification, for lack of a better word — for those stumbles was that the U.S. wasn’t sending the best possible roster to those tournaments. Getting the big names like Kevin Durant and LeBron James for the Olympics, that’s one thing. Getting them for the World Cup and asking them to represent their country in back-to-back summers, that’s something else.

Tyrese Haliburton and Anthony Edwards were on that World Cup team last summer and were picked for this Olympic team as well.

“Obviously, last year we didn’t do what we wanted to do,” Haliburton said. “And that was frustrating because any time you get to represent USA Basketball, the expectation is to win. And we weren’t able to do that.”

This team was put together with a very different ending in mind. James is back on the Olympic team for the first time since 2012 and seeking a third gold, Durant is going for what would be a men’s Olympic record fourth basketball gold, and five other players — Adebayo, Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum and Anthony Davis — each have one. The first-time Olympians are Haliburton, Edwards, Curry, Kawhi Leonard and Joel Embiid, someone who the U.S. convinced to play despite a strong push by France for the Philadelphia star to represent the host nation in Paris.

As far as choosing a starting lineup, good luck.

“It’s a good problem to have,” Kerr said. “I’m guessing that all 12 players on this roster will be in the Hall of Fame someday. So, how do you pick five out of 12? The idea is, you find combinations that click, and you find two-way lineups that can be effective at both ends. Our big job in Las Vegas is to find five-man combinations that fit and to just ask all 12 guys to fully commit to the goal of winning a gold medal no matter what it looks like, no matter who’s playing.”

The Americans play their first exhibition against Canada in Las Vegas, then have games at Abu Dhabi (against Australia and Serbia) and London (against South Sudan and Germany) before the Paris Games start. The U.S. opens Olympic play July 28 against Serbia and will also have group games against South Sudan and the winner of Sunday’s qualifier in Puerto Rico — either Mexico, Lithuania, Italy or Puerto Rico.

“We’ve got 39 days or so to get locked in to go get this gold medal, 12 amazing, talented guys ready to come together for one goal,” Curry said when he arrived to check in for camp. “I’m hyped for it all.”


Friday, 31 May 2024

DONCIC'S 36 POINTS SPUR MAVERICKS TO NBA FINALS WITH 124-103 TOPPING OF TIMBERWOLVES

AP Photo 


 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Luka Doncic was in his element, hitting shots from everywhere on the court, hushing the crowd and flashing those sly smiles as the Dallas Mavericks delivered a knockout performance.

Now one of the global sport's young superstars gets his first trip to the NBA Finals.

Doncic had a 20-point first quarter on his way to 36 points for his high this postseason, and the Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-103 on Thursday night to breeze through the Western Conference finals in five games.

“He let his teammates know that it’s time and they’ve got to take it up a notch,” coach Jason Kidd said. “He sent the invites out, and they all came.”

Kyrie Irving also scored 36 points for the Mavericks, who built a 29-point halftime lead on 61% shooting to deflate the once-energized crowd before most fans got up for their first snack break. The Mavs went up by 36 in the third quarter, consistently keeping the Timberwolves offense all out of whack.


AP Photo 


“I just had that utmost confidence when I was going to sleep last night and went to shootaround this morning," Irving said, “just feeling like we were going to play one of our best games.”

The Mavs, the No. 5 seed in the West, have a full week to rest before the NBA Finals begin in Boston on June 6 for the franchise's first appearance since winning the championship in 2011 when Kidd was playing for them. The Celtics will have had 10 days between games after sweeping Indiana in the Eastern Conference finals.

Anthony Edwards scored 28 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points and 12 rebounds for the third-seeded Wolves, who met their match with the defense-smashing duo of Doncic and Irving after stifling Phoenix in a first-round sweep and then dethroning defending champion Denver in a seven-game series.

“We never clicked all together as a team in this series, not even one game,” Edwards said. “The last two series, we were all clicking at one time, making shots and stuff. It wasn’t clicking at one time here.”

Irving improved to 15-1 in his career in closeout games in the playoffs.

Doncic set a defiant tone by starting 4 for 4, hitting rainbows from 28 and 31 feet as he turned to talk trash to the courtside fans with each swish.

“That gets me going," Doncic said. "Everybody knows that by now.”

He drained a 32-footer later in a first quarter as the Mavs closed on a 17-1 spurt, a run they pushed to 28-5 over a nine-minute stretch.

“I thought I set a good-enough screen, and I turned around and he's shooting from half court,” center Daniel Gafford said.


AP Photo 


This was Doncic’s second 20-point quarter in his postseason career, following a 21-point fourth quarter in the Western Conference finals loss to Golden State in 2022. He was voted the MVP of the series.

Doncic, who shot 14 for 22 and grabbed 10 rebounds, and his savvy sidekick Irving, who has a championship ring from 2016 with Cleveland, were the superior stars in the series as this Wolves team found its first taste of a sustained postseason run to be a bitter — but perhaps ultimately beneficial — one.

“You can’t skip any steps. The West is going to be a monster next year as it continues to be every year. There was a lot of things we did well this year,” Wolvers coach Chris Finch said. “I’m super proud of our guys. Just building another layer of foundation to try to get where we want to go.”

Though he familiarly and persistently waved his arms at the officials almost every time a whistle didn’t go his way, the 25-year-old Doncic played with an unshakeable confidence and unflappable joy from start to finish. As he was taunted by the fans with a “Flopper!” chant when he shot free throws in the third quarter, Doncic smiled and mockingly mouthed the words along with them.

The Mavs got 7-foot-1 rookie Dereck Lively II back from the sprained neck that kept him out of the previous game, restoring the complete rim protection duo with Gafford that helped them disrupt Rudy Gobert in the post and just about everyone else who tried to attack the basket. Gafford had 11 points and nine rebounds, and Lively added nine points and eight rebounds.

Edwards, though he hit the 25-point mark for the 15th time in 27 career playoff games, had trouble finding his rhythm amid all the double-teams. The Wolves, for all their progress this season, were reminded they don’t yet have a championship offense despite his dynamic skills and clutch mentality.

They had several wince-inducing possessions in the decisive first half, with the coaches struggling to find a group that could play in sync together.

As the final seconds of the second quarter ticked away, Edwards drove to the lane and kicked the ball to the corner to Kyle Anderson, who swung it back to Towns on the wing and failed to find a look he liked. He passed back to Anderson, who tried to move closer and had the shot clock expire on him.

P.J. Washington, who had 12 points, flexed his arms in celebration of yet another stifling defensive sequence by the Mavs.

“They won the series. They earned the series. They deserve the series. Congrats to them and their entire staff. They were led by two world-class players that played at a world-class level,” Finch said.

- DAVE CAMPBELL

Monday, 20 May 2024

TIMBERWOLVES VS. NUGGETS: NBA WORLD REACTS TO MINNESOTA'S 20-POINT GAME 7 COMEBACK VICTORY

DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 19: Anthony Edwards #5 and Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrate after winning Game Seven of the Western Conference Second Round Playoffs against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on May 19, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images 


 The basketball world was in shock as the Minnesota Timberwolves climbed back from a 20-point deficit to defeat the Nuggets, 98-90, in Denver during Sunday's winner-take-all Game 7. The Western Conference series saw its fair share of lopsided games and it looked like this would be another blowout. However, Denver had a disastrous third quarter and the Timberwolves stayed poised, despite Anthony Edwards having a slow start. 

Patience and determination led to the Timberwolves' first Western Conference Finals since 2004, as well as plenty of great reactions on social media. 

Philadelphia 76ers' star Joel Embiid kept it short and simple when describing what most of us were feeling when the comeback was completed: "WOW"

The win was a full team effort with six Timberwolves reaching double-digit scoring. They were deeper than the Nuggets, who relied on Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray scoring 69 of Denver's total points. Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young was impressed with Minnesota as a whole.

"Wolves got a SQUAD man!" he said.

Edwards did not have a great offensive game as he got 16 points on 6-for-24 shooting. However, he contributed with eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals while also doing a better job locking in Murray in the second half. 

Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson was one of many praising the young star.

Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns put up 23 points, going 8-of-14 from the field and completed a double-double with 12 rebounds. NBA icon Jamal Crawford approached the Timberwolves star duo after their win. He did not say what he told them, but he did share a video of the moment on social media. 

Crawford was not the only one impressed with them. Milwaukee Bucks point guard Patrick Beverly praised Towns' clutch performance.

"I don't wanna hear anymore bad talk about Kat ever. He has been locked in," Beverly wrote.

He also compared Edwards and Towns to the Chicago Bulls' legendary duo of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

Jaden McDaniels also had outstanding stats with 23 points on 70% shooting, along with six rebounds, two steals and one block. 

One of his (almost) highlights was a dunk attempt with 20 seconds remaining. It was unsuccessful, but many still appreciated his killer instinct. Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero said the "bounce lob attempt was crazy" and shared a post that described McDaniels as a "psychopath."

Sunday was not the first time the Nuggets blew a large lead while playing a Game 7 at home. They were up by 17 points against Portland in 2019 in the conference semifinals, and former Trail Blazer Evan Turner has not forgotten.

"This look like game 7 in back in 2019 tbh," Turner said.

The Timberwolves will now have to battle Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks for a spot in the NBA Finals. Bulls shooting guard Alex Caruso is already looking forward to the upcoming series.

"Luke or Ant coming out of the west," he wrote.

The Timberwolves will be hosting the first two games, and Edwards told NBA legend Charles Barkley that it was time for him to make a trip to Minnesota.

"Bring ya ass," Edwards told him.

Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals is set for Wednesday, May 22 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

- Isabel Gonzalez


Saturday, 11 May 2024

JAMAL MURRAY, NUGGETS BOUNCE BACK IN GAME 3 BLOWOUT OF.WOLVES



 MINNEAPOLIS -- Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone challenged his team to act and play like the defending champions.

On Friday, the Nuggets, and Jamal Murray in particular, responded with their best performance of the playoffs, routing the Minnesota Timberwolves 117-90 in Game 3 at the Target Center. The Nuggets trail the Timberwolves 2-1 in their best-of-seven series.

Murray, fueled by a hostile Minnesota crowd that booed him from the moment he stepped onto the floor during pregame warmups, scored 18 of his 24 points in the first half to set the tone for the Nuggets.

"That definitely fueled me during the game," Murray said of the boos. "And just keeps me in that mode. So it's fun. I embrace that challenge. I embrace that moment. I probably deserved the boos, so I'm not shying away from it."

Minnesota fans wouldn't let Murray off the hook for throwing a heat pack and towel onto the floor during a dreadful 106-80 Nuggets loss in Game 2. Murray, who shot 3-for-18 in that loss, was fined $100,000 by the league for throwing objects onto the court.

Murray's troublesome left calf strain was better Friday night, and he thrived in his role as the villain.

"He does kind of relish those moments where he's a bad guy," Malone said. "To me, that beginning of the game, you're in hostile territory, and that's kind of where you separate the man from the boys."

The Nuggets built a 45-25 lead midway through the second quarter. With Malone emphasizing a hit-first mentality on offense, the Nuggets cleared more space for their shooters than they had in the previous two games against the Timberwolves' suffocating defense.

Murray showed how much better he was feeling when he used two crossovers to shake free of Karl-Anthony Towns before drilling a jumper on the big man in the first quarter.

"We had a live practice, so I got to test it out," Murray said of Denver's practice on Thursday. "But this was probably the best I felt going into the game. And then it tightened up at the end. But it's good, man."

Minnesota fans likely wished Murray had been suspended for throwing objects onto the floor in Game 2, even if Timberwolves coach Chris Finch wasn't expecting that to happen.

"I wasn't disappointed in the league's decision," Finch said. "Not because necessarily I agreed. It was simply I never, ever, ever expected them to suspend him. I thought they would throw a heavy fine. There hasn't really been much precedent for suspending people certainly in the playoffs unless it's a repeat offense. Whether it is or it isn't a suspendable thing doesn't matter now."

Finch was expecting the Nuggets to deliver a championship performance, and Denver did just that. All five Denver starters scored in double figures. After Murray started hot, MVP Nikola Jokic took over in the third quarter, scoring 13 of his 24 points in the frame. He finished with 24 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks, along with several crucial screens to set teammates free for shots.

Michael Porter Jr. had 21 points, and Aaron Gordon buried three triples and had 13 points.

"That was Denver Nugget basketball," Malone said. "And that's the first time I've seen that in this series for four quarters."

Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 19 points but also had a game-high five turnovers, and Minnesota was outscored by 32 points in the 37 minutes he was on the court.

"I'll take the blame for this loss," Edwards said. "I came out with no energy at all. I can't afford to do that for my team. I let my team down, coaches down, fans down. I'll be ready Sunday."

Edwards wasn't the only member of the Timberwolves to take accountability after the team lost for the first time this postseason following a 6-0 start.

Minnesota point guard Mike Conley (10 points, 6 assists) said the game was officiated differently than the series was in Denver, as evidenced by Jaden McDaniels picking up three fouls in eight minutes of playing time in the first half. But Conley put the onus on his team to adapt to the whistle.

"Tonight, guys weren't allowed to be as physical as we were in the last game, so we had to adjust our play for that, and that's what good teams do," Conley said. "We don't blame the refs and think that's why we lost this game. We know better than that."

Towns, who had 14 points on 4-for-7 shooting, tied for the second-fewest shot attempts he has taken in 23 career playoff games, said Denver gave Minnesota a wake-up call.

"It's a great humbling experience, I think, for our team," Towns said. "To understand that this is not easy. Just because we've been fortunate to find ourselves on the winning end for six straight playoff games don't mean that the seventh, the eighth, the ninth, the 10th is going to be the same result. I think this is a great humbling experience for us and the defending champions definitely gave us that experience and it's going to make us hungrier. I think it's going to make us a better team."

ESPN's Dave McMenamin contributed to this report.

- Ohm Youngmisuk, ESPN Staff Writer

Monday, 29 April 2024

EDWARDS AND TOWNS LEAD TIMBERWOLVES INTO THE SECOND ROUND OF THE NBA PLAYOFFS FOR THE 1ST TIME SINCE 2004

AP Photo 


 PHOENIX (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves are off to the second round of the NBA playoffs for the first time in 20 years.

Their first-round sweep of the Phoenix Suns served notice they might be ready to go even deeper.

Anthony Edwards scored 40 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 28 and the Timberwolves pulled away late to beat the Suns 122-116 on Sunday night and sweep the first-round playoff series.

The victory came after coach Chris Finch left the game late in the fourth after an inadvertent collision with Wolves guard Mike Conley. The team said he had a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee.

The success for Minnesota has been a long time coming, particularly for Towns, who was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in 2015 and waited nearly a decade to get his first playoff series win. Edwards is in his fourth season after being the No. 1 overall selection in 2020.

“I couldn’t be happier,” Towns said before looking at Edwards. “Playing with my man on my right just makes it more special. To be able to do it with someone I have so much admiration for, so much respect for.

"The future’s so bright for him, I’ve got to put my sunglasses on.”

The Suns swept the three-game, regular-season series from the Wolves, but Minnesota flipped that script in the postseason by wearing down a Phoenix team that had championship aspirations with their All-Star trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

The 35-year-old Durant — who Edwards said was his favorite player growing up — offered nothing but praise for the young star.

“So impressed with Ant,” Durant said. "My favorite player to watch. Just grown up so much since he came into the league. His love for the game shines bright. That's one of the reasons I like him the most, because he just loves basketball, he's grateful to be in this position and he's taken advantage of every opportunity he's gotten.

“I love everything about Ant. Everything.”

The Wolves will play either the Denver Nuggets or Los Angeles Lakers in the second round. The Nuggets have a 3-1 lead with Game 5 on Monday night.

It's understandable that the Wolves might take a day or two to enjoy this series win. Minnesota was knocked out of the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, including in five games against the Nuggets last season.

They might get another crack at them soon.

The Wolves were a handful for the Suns throughout the series, flashing a deep roster that includes veteran point guard Mike Conley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, defensive star Rudy Gobert, sixth man of the year Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels.

But there's little doubt Edwards and Towns lead the show.

Edwards had just nine points in the first half before unloading on the Suns after the break, which was enough to overcome Booker's 49 points. His powerful, one-handed jam late in the fourth sealed the win.

“That was the gameplan, get everyone involved,” Edwards said. “But in the second half, it's time to win. I've got to shoot my shots.”

The Wolves have slowly improved under third-year coach Finch, who was replaced by assistant Micah Nori for the final 1:41 as the Wolves pulled away to win.

Nori said Finch was in good spirits after the game and will be ready to lead the team going forward.

“It's just one series win, you don't want to overblow it, but it's the next step in the progression for all our guys,” Nori said.

- DAVID BRANDT

NBA ROUNDUP: WOLVES FINISH OFF SWEEP OF SUNS

USA TODAY Sports 


 Anthony Edwards scored 31 of his 40 points in the second half and the Minnesota Timberwolves completed a four-game sweep of the host Phoenix Suns with a 122-116 victory on Sunday night in their Western Conference first-round series.

Edwards made seven 3-pointers and had nine rebounds and six assists for the third-seeded Timberwolves. Karl-Anthony Towns added 28 points and 10 rebounds as Minnesota won a playoff series for the first time in 20 years.

Jaden McDaniels added 18 points and Mike Conley had 10 points and seven assists for the Timberwolves, who will face either the Denver Nuggets or Los Angeles Lakers in the second round.

Devin Booker scored a playoff-career-high 49 points for the sixth-seeded Suns. Booker made 13 of 21 shots from the floor and hit 20 of 21 free-throw attempts. Kevin Durant added 33 points on 12-of-17 shooting for Phoenix. He also had nine rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots.


Knicks 97, 76ers 92

Jalen Brunson scored a career playoff-high 47 points to go along with 10 assists as New York defeated host Philadelphia in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first-round series.

Brunson set a franchise playoff scoring record and also became the first player in franchise history to post at least 30 points and 10 assists in consecutive playoff games. The Knicks lead the series 3-1 with Game 5 set for Tuesday in New York.

Brunson, who shot 18 of 34 from the field and 9 of 11 from the free-throw line, knocked down two free throws with 5.2 seconds remaining for a 97-92 lead. OG Anunoby added 16 points and 14 rebounds, Miles McBride scored 13 and Josh Hart pulled down 17 rebounds.

Joel Embiid led Philadelphia with 27 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots. Tyrese Maxey scored 23 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. added 19 and Tobias Harris had 10. Embiid had scored a playoff career-high 50 points despite struggling on his surgically repaired left knee in the Sixers' win over the Knicks in Game 3 on Thursday.


USA TODAY Sports 


Pacers 126, Bucks 113

Myles Turner scored 29 points and Tyrese Haliburton added 24 to fuel Indiana to a victory over undermanned Milwaukee in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round series in Indianapolis.

Turner sank seven 3-pointers for the sixth-seeded Pacers, who shot 51.2 percent from beyond the arc and 51.7 percent overall to seize a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven series. Game 5 is Tuesday in Milwaukee. Haliburton made five 3-pointers despite being added to the injury report as questionable approximately 90 minutes before tipoff due to a balky back.

Milwaukee's Brook Lopez recorded 27 points and nine rebounds and Khris Middleton added 25 and 10, respectively. Malik Beasley added 20 points for the third-seeded Bucks, who were short-handed due to the early ejection of Bobby Portis in addition to the absences of injured stars Damian Lillard and two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.


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Clippers 116, Mavericks 111

Paul George and James Harden each scored 33 points and Los Angeles rallied after coughing up a 31-point lead to beat host Dallas Mavericks in Game 4, evening the Western Conference first-round playoff series.

Luka Doncic finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Mavericks. Kyrie Irving scored a game-high 40 points on 14-of-25 shooting from the floor, including 6-of-12 from 3-point range. The rest of the Mavericks shot only 5-of-21 from deep, including 1-of-9 from Doncic.

The series, which is tied 2-2, heads back to Los Angeles for Wednesday's Game 5.


USA TODAY Sports 

- Reuters