Dallas Mavericks (50-32, fifth in the Western Conference) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (56-26, third in the Western Conference)Minneapolis; Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. EDTBETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Timberwolves -4; over/under is 206.5WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: Timberwolves host first series matchupBOTTOM LINE: The Minnesota Timberwolves host the Dallas Mavericks in game one of the Western Conference finals. Minnesota went 3-1 against Dallas during the regular season. The Timberwolves won the last regular se
DALLAS (AP) — Daniel Gafford remembers facing Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert and company about two weeks before he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks this season. That memory alone is enough for the 6-foot-10 center to know the challenge that's coming when the Western Conference finals start Wednesday night at the Minnesota Timberwolves. Make that the towering Timberwolves, even for Gafford and 7-1 rookie Dereck Lively II. “It was for sure a rough game, going against Rudy under the basket, KAT
BOSTON (AP) — So much about the journey the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers have taken to the Eastern Conference finals has been about what – or specifically who – they haven’t had to face to get to here. Top-seeded Boston mostly coasted to a 4-1 first-round series win over a Miami Heat team that played without Jimmy Butler, the player who’d tormented and broken the heart of the Celtics in Game 7 of last season’s conference finals. They then posted another 4-1 series victory in the second roun
DENVER (AP) — As the shock of blowing their 20-point Game 7 lead settled in, Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone repeated what had become somewhat of an underlying mantra for his talented but thinned team. “I consider the San Antonio Spurs a dynasty, and they never won back-to-back,” said Malone, saluting the franchise that won NBA titles every other year between 2003 and 2007. The Nuggets will have to try to follow that formula now that their quest to become the first repeat champion since Gold