3 Studs, 2 duds from Mavericks' thrilling Game 1 win over Timberwolves

On Wednesday night, the Dallas Mavericks opened up the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road with a 108-105 thrilling win.

The Mavs were coming off a huge series win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving were superb in that series. Their chemistry continues to grow every game, and they were able to overcome a slow start to the series from Doncic and win in six games.

Dallas' role players were also crucial in the series win against the Thunder, with one of the biggest surprises being the offensive downpour from Derrick Jones Jr. at the end of the series. Jones Jr. finished with 22 points in Game 6, and his floor-spacing ability at the end of the series was elite.

3 Studs, 2 duds from Mavericks' thrilling Game 1 win over Timberwolves

Jones Jr. remains one of Dallas' best defenders, and he brought his usual confidence into the series against the Timberwolves. Before the series started, Jones Jr. gave some insight into how he was going to guard Anthony Edwards with aggressiveness, and Edwards also detailed his matchup with Kyrie Irving.

Both Jones Jr. and Edwards brought confidence into their defensive matchups, and they set the table for an outstanding series. Jones Jr. had a solid game while guarding Edwards, while Irving practically cooked Edwards for most of the game and was outstanding in the win.

Here are three studs and two duds from the Dallas Mavericks' exciting Game 1 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

5. Stud - Kyrie Irving

In their series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving was plagued by slow starts. Irving has always been one to feel the game out early and then turn it on in the second half, but it was a completely different story against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1.

Irving finished with 13 points in the first quarter while shooting 6-9 from the field. He was getting to his spots, getting to the bucket, and leaving his mark on this game early, and it set the tone for the rest of the game.

Irving was unstoppable to start this game and showed why he is one of the most skilled players the game has ever seen. His play in transition and fearlessness attacking the rim was evident, and he made it a priority to get going early and often.

Anthony Edwards' bold statement that he'd be guarding Irving didn't age as well as he may have hoped, and Irving is going to make Edwards work all series long. He finished with 24 points in the first half and showed that he is going to be a force to be reckoned with as he finished with 30 points on the night and hit some clutch free throws to help put the game away.

4. Dud - Daniel Gafford in the first half

Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford had a great run as Dallas' starting center during the regular season, but during the playoffs, it has been a bit of a different story. Gafford has clearly been outplayed by Dereck Lively II, and that continued into the start of the Western Conference Finals.

Gafford finished with 10 points, nine rebounds, and one block, and his offensive impact was neutral for most of the game. Dallas got him involved early in the second half with a couple of dunks, but outside of that, he wasn't the best.

He doesn't look comfortable when the ball is in his hands out of the short roll like Lively II does, and he didn't get involved much in the pick and roll in the first half of the game.

Gafford's minutes in the first half compared to Lively II's were night and day, and Gafford was a -9 compared to Lively II's +6 in the first half. Plus/minus can be a bit of a misleading stat, but it was clear who was better in the first half. Even at the end of the game, Gafford finished as a -15 while Lively II finished as a +19.

The Mavs are going to need Gafford to return to playing at his midseason form quickly, as Dallas is at their best when they have their elite one-two punch going. He has been impactful protecting the rim and is a big body down low while defending Rudy Gobert in the paint, but his decision-making and basketball IQ have been subpar.

Nitpicking at Gafford's first half is a little critical considering how much better he played in the second half, but he just has to be a little bit better.

3. Stud - Luka Doncic

At the start of the Dallas Mavericks' second-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Luka Doncic looked like a completely different player in the worst possible way. His knee injury was hindering him, and he couldn't get anything to go.

Doncic bounced back as the series went on and ended up finishing the series with three straight triple-doubles, and he carried that positive momentum from the Thunder series into their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Doncic finished with 33 points, six rebounds, and eight assists, and despite just shooting 3-10 from downtown and 12-26 from the field, he showed up when it mattered most. He was getting to his spots early in this game, drawing fouls around the bucket, and Minnesota couldn't stop him and Kyrie Irving.

Jaden McDaniels seems like he is going to be an easier matchup than Lu Dort was on Doncic due to him not being as physical, and the Timberwolves are going to have to keep Doncic in check if they want to win his series.

He was creating enough space when letting it fly from downtown, they just weren't falling until the end of the game. Doncic was moving better than he was at any point in the Thunder series, and although his knee likely won't fully heal until after the season, it looks like he won't be as affected by it as he was in the other series.

Doncic was automatic in the clutch, and he proved that he is the best player in this series.

2. Dud - Josh Green

All playoffs long, Dallas Mavericks guard Josh Green has been hit or miss. Inconsistency has been one of the biggest knocks on Green throughout his young career, and this was the case in Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Green finished with three points and one rebound while shooting 1-4 from the field and 1-2 from downtown, but some of his decision-making in the second half of this game was horrendous. It started with Green missing a dunk in transition off of an outstanding pass from Luka Doncic, and a possession or two later he threw the ball away when trying to find Jaden Hardy in transition.

Green was trying to push the pace as he always does, but it was a bad decision and this ended up being a five-point swing in favor of the Timberwolves as they hit a three on the other end.

Another questionable play from Green came in the fourth quarter while contesting a Mike Conley jump shot, and he fouled him. Fouling someone on a 3-point attempt with less than three seconds remaining in the game is exactly what you don't want. That was the worst possible thing he could have done in that moment, and he got subbed out immediately after this.

The Mavs are going to need Green to play better going forward in this series, and it was mind-boggling how untimely some of these decisions by Green were.

1. Stud - Dereck Lively II

Dallas Mavericks rookie big man Dereck Lively II has not looked like a rookie in the entire playoffs, and Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves was no different.

Lively II finished with nine points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks while shooting 4-4 from the field. As always, Lively II's impact was much bigger than the box score says, and he continues to be the best center on this team.

Lively II was great on the boards, and his growth in the short roll has been outstanding. Once he gets the ball in the short roll, he seems to always make the right decision and either make the pass to a shooter on the perimeter or go and score himself. Lively II always looks in control, and his growth in the short roll has been key for his player development.

He even had a euro-step layup in this game, and the Mavs will need him to continue to be dynamic off the bench to give the Mavs a jolt when Daniel Gafford subs out of the game. Lively II has happily accepted his role off the bench, and his constant energy and playing actively helped Dallas in Game 1.

All playoffs long, Lively II has been showing strength and maturity as he went through one of the toughest moments of his life earlier this year with the death of his mother. He shared an awesome moment with her on the floor after the Game 6 win as he says she was looking down on him.

For all the latest on Dereck Lively II and the Dallas Mavericks throughout the rest of the Western Conference Finals, stay tuned.

This article was originally published on thesmokingcuban.com as 3 Studs, 2 duds from Mavericks' thrilling Game 1 win over Timberwolves.