Quit worrying; the Dallas Mavericks are fine. Expecting a sweep was stupid.

Three minutes into the fourth quarter of Game 4 this entire column was justifiably nearly done, and a Pulitzer was in the bag, because the Dallas Mavericks were following a script they have mastered.

They fall behind against the Minnesota Timberwolves here in the Western Conference Finals, and then go on some silly 27-1 run to come back and win it in the final minute. That’s what they did in the first three games, and why they had a 3-0 series lead.

On Tuesday night, with the American Airlines Center jumping well before tip off, this series finale felt inevitable. The Mavericks were going to win Game 4, and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011.

Should have happened.

“It’s hard to close in this league,” Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said.

If his players didn’t know that before Tuesday they do now.

Even when the Mavericks trailed by eight points with less than two minutes remaining, they had their chances to tie it. Maybe take the lead, just like they did in the previous three games. Everyone in the building, but a small number, expected it.

In the fourth game, neither happened.

Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns finally played to the Hall of Fame level Karl-Anthony Towns thinks he is, and the Wolves defeated the Mavs, 105-100.

The series that should never have been a sweep now in reality is not, which will only depress TNT’s NBA color analyst Charles Barkley. Sir Charles has made it no secret he would prefer to eat nothing but fruits and vegetables rather than return to Minneapolis for a Game 5, which will be played on Thursday night.

“That game is on me. I just didn’t give enough energy,” Mavericks guard Luka Doncic said after the game.

Mavs center Daniel Gafford said the same thing; that he couldn’t find the energy.

Starbucks, maybe?

“This one hurts,” Gafford said. “We expected to be happy at the end of the game, and now we’re (upset).”

Energy issues aside, with a 3-0 series lead they more than likely arrived to the arena knowing they would show up and win the game.

Energy issues aside, the Mavs simply didn’t make shots, and Minnesota did.

The Mavericks shot 15-of-40 from 3-point range. They took 81 shots in the game. Mavs guard Kyrie Irving never could get it going, and shot 6-of-18 from the floor.

“We had good looks. Corner 3’s. Couldn’t ask for a better situation,” Kidd said.

Despite the horrible shooting, even in the waning seconds it still felt like the Mavericks were going to do it again, win, and celebrate a trip to the Finals.

When Doncic hit a 3-pointer and was fouled with 13 seconds remaining, he had the chance to make it a 2-point game. In the previous three games, he makes the free throw, the Mavs steal the inbound pass, and Doncic makes the game-winning shot with two-tenths of a second remaining.

Consistent with how Game 4 went, he missed the free throw and that ended the Mavs’ plans of a sweep.

“That’s where I thought the game could change,” Kidd said. “We couldn’t capitalize. ... We’ve been knocking down 3’s. Wide open 3’s. We just didn’t make them.”

The loss of center Derek Lively to a neck sprain suffered in Game 3 was noticeable, and not the reason the Mavs lost. They did welcome forward Maxi Kleber back to the lineup for the first time in more than a month, but he can’t be expected to do too much in his first game back.

It’s impossible to see how Minnesota wins this series, but possible to see the Timberwolves winning another game. They’re talented, and if a few more shots drop in the first three games this series is tied.

In Game 4, Towns and guard Anthony Edwards combined for 54 points. Every time the Mavs pushed, one of these two pushed back with a made shot.

After playing like a dead ghost, and not a good one, in the first three games, in Game 4 KAT finally played like he cares about the game of basketball beyond making millions from it. In Game 4, he made 9 of 13 shots, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range. If he really ever decides to care all the time, he’s a top 10 player in the NBA.

The Mavericks now head back to Minnesota in an effort to be done with this series on Thursday night.

“Whether you win in four or seven,” Doncic said, “you just have to win four.”

This should have been over in four.

Sorry, Charles.