DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks will need at least one more game to topple the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Mavs came up just shy of their bid to sweep the NBA's 2024 Western Conference Finals and close out the Timberwolves in four games, losing Game 4 by a score of 105-104.
Minnesota overcame foul trouble faced by all three of its biggest stars -- Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert -- on Tuesday night to eke out its first win of the series and extend the battle at least one more game.
The Timberwolves' win came despite a triple-double effort for Mavs star Luka Doncic, who contributed 28 points, 15 boards and 10 assists to the home team's cause.
Alas, Doncic' heroics came up just short on this night -- an unfortunate truth for Mavs fans that was best exemplified by a late three-pointer that could've turned into a four-point play after Doncic was fouled in the process. Doncic, however, missed the ensuing free throw that would've pulled his team within two points.
The Timberwolves then scored quickly on the following possession, extending their lead to five and ending the Mavericks' dreams of a sweep.
Doncic running mate Kyrie Irving, meanwhile, proved conspicuously quiet in this one, contributing just 16 points and four assists on the night. Irving also turned the ball over late in the fourth quarter, all but sealing the game's fate prior, even, to Doncic's missed free throw.
Meanwhile, Game 4 saw easily the best performances of the series yet from the Timberwolves' best players.
Responding well to widespread criticism of his performance thus far against the Mavs, Towns contributed 25 points and five rebounds in the game before fouling out late in the fourth.
Edwards, for his part, came up just shy of his own triple double, scoring 29 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out nine assists while hitting numerous clutch shots late in the fourth quarter. It was a performance that finally seemed to fulfill the hype NBA pundits had doled the 22-year-old's way all playoffs long.
The series will now return to Minnesota for Game 5, tipping off from Minneapolis' Target Center at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 30.