"I kind of knew" - Jaden McDaniels clears air on viral reaction to Rudy Gobert's flimsy defense on Luka Doncic's game-winning shot
Jaden McDaniels and the Minnesota Timberwolves have an uphill battle to face for Game 3 of the 2024 Western Conference finals. After losing the first two games of the series at home, the Timberwolves travel to Dallas to try to steal one game.
McDaniels starred in a viral moment before Luka Doncic drained a game-winning 3-pointer over Rudy Gobert, making a face that didn't go unnoticed, especially after the Slovenian player called the game in front of the French defender.
Dave McMenamin shared McDaniels' reaction to that switch and the face he made after that, explaining that he wanted to be in that position against Doncic.
"I just wanted to guard him because he hit one on me last game. So I kind of just wanted to be able to guard him again in the same position," McDaniels said.
"But I kind of knew I wasn't going to be able to just because what we were switching and what coach asked for. So, hopefully we're not going to be in that position again, but if we do, I'll make sure I'm not switching."
In the end, this decision to switch cost the Timberwolves the game. They put Luka Doncic in an 'iso' position against Gobert, who couldn't keep up with the guard's handle, resulting in a game-winning 3-pointer.
Now, the series moves to American Airlines Center with the No. 3 seed in the West keen to get the first win of the matchup, or they will be in the same spot as the Indiana Pacers in the East.
Jaden McDaniels' teammate sends a warning about the Timberwolves ahead of Game 3
Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has had an underwhelming series so far. The former No. 1 overall pick has lacked aggressiveness during the first two duels of the WCF. He's well aware of that and has sent a warning about his shots for Game 3.
"Ya'll going to see tonight," Edwards said. "It's going to be a lot of shots. I'm going to be super aggressive. I mean. I haven't took more than 16 shots each game so I'm going to be ultra aggressive coming out for sure."
Gregg Popovich is rooting against Jaden McDaniels, Timberwolves
Legendary coach Gregg Popovich has a clear favorite to win this series and his candidate may be surprising to a lot of people.
Considering the rivalry between Popovich's Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks, one would think he'd root for Jaden McDaniels and Minnesota. However, Pop showed his support for the Mavs in a video shared on Saturday.
"Go, Mavs. Come on, Mark. Kick a*s," he said.
The challenge is hard for Minnesota, but if they want to send another message to the rest of the country, this is the perfect chance to do so. Jaden McDaniels isn't ducking any smoke and that's a good sign.