The Timberwolves and Mavericks are meeting tonight in Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference finals at Target Center. Staff writer Chris Hine provides this live report:
9:20 p.m.: Teams trading punches, but neither can take control in the third
The Wolves defense has struggled to combat the Dallas offense most of the night, but the Wolves clung to an 83-82 lead entering the fourth quarter despite allowing 32 Mavericks points in the third.
The Wolves opened the third with some extra eyes and defenders on Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, and that led to some easy buckets at the rim for Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, who scored Dallas' first six points of the quarter.