It was all set up for the Dallas Mavericks to complete a sweep of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, which would have sent Dallas to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011. But a Luka Doncic triple-double was not enough for the Mavericks, as the Timberwolves spoiled the party and kept the conference finals alive with a 105-100 win in Game 4.
The series now shifts back to Minnesota — and if Anthony Edwards‘ Wolves win in front of their home fans in Game 5, the series gets very interesting should it come back to Texas for a potential Game 6. It presents an uncomfortable scenario for Mavericks fans, some of whom have pointed the finger at one of their own in response to the surprising Game 4 loss.
Micah Parsons “curses” the Mavs
Dallas Cowboys stars Trevon Diggs and Micah Parsons took in Game 4 on Tuesday night from courtside seats at American Airlines Center. Parsons wore a vintage Doncic jersey for the occasion — and even though the Mavs‘ superstar guard had another strong individual performance, fans have assigned some blame to the Cowboys‘ star pass rusher for the surprising defeat.
With a trip to the NBA Finals on the line — and the Boston Celtics already there and waiting — Dallas started slowly out of the gates and shot just 42 percent for the game. Edwards flirted with a triple-double himself and later had words for Parsons, exuding confidence that the T-Wolves would be back in Dallas for a sixth game.
Parsons himself chimed in on meeting with Edwards, calling him one of his “favorite players” in the NBA right now — running the risk of further upsetting Dallas fans whose nerves might already be frayed from an intense conference finals.
The Mavs’ loss on Tuesday night will do nothing to cure Parsons of his reputation as a “curse” at NBA games. During last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, Parsons wore a Jayson Tatum jersey to TD Garden as the Celtics dropped Game 1 to the Miami Heat and went on to lose the series. The previous week, Parsons had worn a Philadelphia 76ers jersey to a second-round game against the Celtics — which Philly lost.
One thing seems for certain: Parsons is not quite the good luck charm that Dallas diehard and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes seems to be.