When You CONFRONT Kyrie, But It BACKFIRES Badly...

Join me on RateGame: https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6477869711?pt=126905374&ct=Heat%20Check%201&mt=8 Things completely backfired on Anthony Edwards as he woke up the sleeping giant and Kyrie went crazy on him. However things started off great for Ant and Minnesota. As they came out shooting lights out to start the game led by Jaden Mcdaniels who went 3 for 3 in the opening quarter. And when Edwards did this, I got flashbacks of those Denver blowouts… Already a 9 point lead and the momentum on Minnesota’s side. And with buckets like this ultra slow motion three pointer, as well as…whatever this is, both by Kyle Anderson of course, I wouldn’t blame Dalas if they got demoralized early on. But the Mavs did not panic, as they had the ultra aggressive version of Kyrie Irving going at Edwards and blowing past him for 13 points in the first. Luka had Mcdaniels on him, and he was able to exploit the matchup and operate in the pick and roll, to get to his spot and knock it down. The Mavs were able to weather the storm early on and make it a back and forth battle. Thing is, with all the focus defensively being on the main guys from Minnesota, Mcdaniels and Anderson continued to boost the Timberwolves offense. And things started escalating again with this… But once again, with a 9 point deficit facing his team, Kyrie again comes to the rescue. Irving had 24 points in the first half on 11 for 14 from the field, absolutely zooming past Edwards and the defense all the way to the rim. In the second half, Luka and Kyrie looked to attack from the pick and roll and created for themselves, but also got the big man involved. Dallas scored a modest 23 points on 43% from the field, but they were able to limit the home team to 21 points on a bad 33% shooting. Some of it was great defensive effort by the Mavs, but admittedly, they got lucky on a few possessions as the Timberwolves missed some open shots. By the end of the third quarter, Edwards had only 13 points on 4 for 12. And him having to run around all over the court and chase Kyrie might have had something to do with it. He seemed exhausted at times, which forced him to settle for some shots and not put pressure on the defense. He would even stand way back at times, not participating in the offense to catch his breath. In the meantime, as the 4th quarter came around, Doncic continued his onslaught in the pick and roll. Doncic scored 15 points in the final period, and with the help from the role players, they took control in the final minutes. But then, Edwards and the Timberwolves finally woke up and started hitting shots, to cut into the 9 point deficit. And the arena completely exploded when they took over the lead. And just like that, this became a shootout… And in a crucial possession with a minute to go, the Mavs played perfect defense with Doncic making a huge play. What a save by Luka stunting at the drive and getting back to intercept the pass that would have certainly led to the alley oop dunk and the tie. This sets up Luka with the isolation in the clutch, and… LUKA 0:49 (VIDI I REPRIZA ZA FILLER) Wooow the patented stepback to give Dallas a 4 point lead, bringing them extremely close to the win. All the Mavs need now is just 1 final stop, and they initially get the miss, but Naz Reid tips it back in to keep the thriller going. There is still hope for Minnesota, if Kyrie misses 1 of these 2 free throws, but he stays ice cold knocking down both, and pretty much sealing the deal for a game 1 win on the road. And he had a message back to ANT after the game as well. KYRIE: I WAS MOTIVATED Maaan, what a game by him and Doncic as they scored or assisted on 88 out of the 108 Mavs points. That’s involvement in 81% of the Dallas points between the 2 of them. Incredible. On rategame, the app that I’m a part of we score each game by how good they are, and I gave this one an 8.4. And I totally agree with Yousef, Ant seemed tired out there having to chase Kyrie. Download the app in the link in the description and join us in rating these games. The West finals started out with a bang, but yesterday we saw a masterclass in how to choke away a playoff game. You gotta see this to believe it. Click the video right here. Talk to you in the next one. Peace out.