3 Studs, 2 duds from Mavericks' narrow Game 4 loss to Timberwolves

On Tuesday, the Dallas Mavericks played one of their biggest games in franchise history as they had the chance to clinch their third NBA Finals berth with a home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.

Dallas won a wild Game 3 on Sunday, and the city was buzzing for the past two days as everyone could sense just how close the Mavs were to the promised land.

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving's bond along with the play of the role players and outstanding defense got them this far, and their series against the Timberwolves will trek on as they lost Game 4 105-100 and the Timberwolves forced a Game 5.

3 Studs, 2 duds from Mavericks' narrow Game 4 loss to Timberwolves

Dallas has been showing everyone who doubted them that they are going to be elite for years to come with Doncic and Irving at the helm of their young core, and but they haven't punched their ticket to the NBA Finals just yet.

Irving and Doncic could soon have the chance to prove that they have what it takes to win together on the biggest stage in the world, the NBA Finals, but they have to find a way to beat the Timberwolves in one of the next three games first.

Dallas had the chance to win this game, but they couldn't get the win in the clutch.

Here are three studs and two duds from the Dallas Mavericks' narrow Game 5 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

5. Stud - Maxi Kleber

Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber is someone who the Mavs have been without for nearly a month, as he went down with a shoulder injury in Game 6 of their first-round series against the LA Clippers. Tests revealed a fully dislocated AC joint in his shoulder, and this injury couldn't have happened at a worse time.

Kleber was shooting amazingly against the Clippers, and his ability to play the small-ball five was much needed. His versatility, defense, and floor-stretching ability are invaluable, and he finally returned to the Mavs lineup for Game 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Although Kleber didn't play a ton, he finished with two points and one rebound. These numbers don't nearly tell the story with Kleber, and his impact goes way beyond the stat sheet.

As soon as Kleber checked into the game, you could feel an energy change. The fans were ecstatic to have him back, and he brought physicality while guarding Rudy Gobert. Gobert was clearly getting frustrated, and Kleber played great defense on the ball as well as off the ball.

Kleber being on this list is a combination of him returning combined with him playing well off the bench, and they'll need him to continue to play well in these playoffs, especially if Dereck Lively II can't play in Game 5.

4. Dud - P.J. Washington

Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington has been the savior for this team at times throughout the 2024 NBA Playoffs, but Tuesday night's Game 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves wasn't that type of night.

Washington finished with 10 points and five rebounds while shooting 3-13 from the field and 2-9 from downtown. Luka Doncic and company continued to feed him the rock outside the arc, but none of his open looks were going down.

He got countless open looks in the first half of this game, and although they weren't going down in the first two quarters, the tide changed some for him in the second half as he drilled two threes.

Washington has stepped up in the biggest moments during these playoffs, and his ability to knock down clutch threes has been second to none. He drills shots when they matter most, but he couldn't put together any consistency tonight despite having amazing looks.

His floaters around the bucket and his open looks from downtown were just rimming out, and although his defense was solid, his early struggles in this game land him as a dud.

The Mavs will need him at his best for the rest of these playoffs, and if he keeps getting these open looks like everyone knows he will, he's bound to have more hot shooting nights, tonight just wasn't that night.

3. Stud - Luka Doncic

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic was listed as questionable ahead of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, and just like he always does, he ended up playing. Anyone who covers the Mavs knows that Doncic always does whatever he can to play, and this didn't change for Game 4.

Doncic finished with 28 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists while shooting 7-21 from the field and 4-11 from downtown, and although he was inefficient, he was one of the few bright spots for his team.

He was nailing some tough threes, knifing his way to the bucket (although he missed some bunnies at the rim), and getting to the free-throw line with ease. Doncic ended up shooting 10-12 from the free-throw line, and his improvement in this area has been noticeable during the playoffs.

Any time that you have Luka Doncic on your roster, you have a chance to win the game, and that's exactly what he did tonight for Dallas. He drilled an and-one three late in this game to cut the Timberwolves' lead to three, but he missed the free throw.

Even during their sloppy start, Doncic believed in his teammates and got some tough buckets to go down while the offense was stalling, and this helped them stay on the Timberwolves' heels.

This wasn't an unworldly performance from Doncic like we've been used to seeing in this series, but he did enough for the Mavs to claw out a win at home to advance to the NBA Finals but they just couldn't get it done.

2. Dud - Kyrie Irving

Entering Game 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving was 14-0 in closeout games. He was 2-0 in this playoff run during closeout games, and he elevated his game in those moments when Dallas needed him most.

Dallas had the perfect chance to sweep the Timberwolves on Tuesday night and advance to the NBA Finals, but they couldn't get it done on their home floor. The Maavs started slow, and so did Irving.

Irving finished with 16 points while shooting 6-18 from the field and 1-6 from downtown, and he couldn't get anything to go in the clutch. He was getting some good looks from inside the arc around the rim as well as downtown, but nothing was going down.

Before Game 4, Irving stated that this was a normal game for the Mavs while it was the Timberwolves' "Super Bowl," and this aged poorly. The Mavs were showing no assertiveness in this game, and rather than leave his mark on this game from the opening tip, Irving played a bit passive as he scored just two points while shooting 1-5 from the field.

Irving typically feels out the game early and takes over in the second half, but the second-half takeover never happened as he scored just 10 points while shooting 4-10 from the field. His performance in the second half was better than his performance in the first half, but the Mavs will need a complete game from him in Game 5 to put the series away.

1. Stud - Jaden Hardy

Jaden Hardy is someone who has had the definition of an up-and-down season for the Dallas Mavericks. He was coming off an excellent rookie season in which he shot over 40 percent from downtown, but his sophomore season didn't go as smoothly.

Although Hardy had some great stretches, he was in and out of the rotation for most of the season and there were times early in the year when he looked unplayable. This was not ideal for the second-year guard, and Jason Kidd even made it seem like he may not be a part of the rotation for the final push.

Hardy started outside of the rotation to begin the playoffs, but his play off the bench in the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves has been outstanding. In Game 4, Hardy finished with 13 points while shooting 5-8 from the field and 3-4 from downtown, and he was a huge spark plug in the second half when the Mavs needed some momentum.

He dominated in the third quarter as he was drilling open shots and attacking the rim. There was even a play when he drove straight at Anthony Edwards and finished with a layup and on a different play he finished at the rim with a dunk.

Hardy's reemergence in these playoffs has been remarkable, and all he needed was a chance.

For all the latest on Jaden Hardy and the Dallas Mavericks throughout the rest of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, stay tuned.