LaMelo Ball Torches Mavericks, Dusty May Has No Answer
Give him space, and he’ll knock down shots from way beyond the arc. Pressure him, and he’ll beat you off the dribble. Dusty May explains why LaMelo Ball was such a nightmare for Dallas as the Timberwolves cruise to a 39-point W
A night to forget for the Dallas Mavericks, who suffered a crushing 133-94 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. And the biggest problem for Dallas had a name: LaMelo Ball.
The Timberwolves guard finished with 22 points, 9 assists and 6 three-pointers, but the numbers only tell part of the story.
Throughout the game, Ball kept forcing Dallas into an impossible choice: give him room to shoot from deep or step up and risk getting beaten off the dribble.
Not exactly an easy decision, as Dusty May admitted after the game.
In his first season as an NBA head coach, following a long career in college basketball, May is trying to build something special in Dallas.
The Mavericks had shown some encouraging signs early in the season, but Minnesota delivered a harsh reality check.
And Dallas’ head coach had no problem giving LaMelo credit.
It’s pretty obvious that when he starts making shots like that, pulling up from 27 or 30 feet, we have to find an answer. But when we try to pressure him and send a double-team, he still finds a way to get into the paint and put our defense in trouble
Dusty May
That’s what makes Ball so difficult to contain: he can punish almost any defensive approach.
When he’s having a night like that, he’s extremely difficult to guard. He played really well tonight
Dusty May
The result was a 39-point blowout for Minnesota, with the Timberwolves dominating a game in which Dallas never managed to find the right defensive adjustments.