Timberwolves-Mavericks Game 5 preview: TV-radio information, injury report, statistics

Timberwolves vs. Dallas Mavericks

Best-of-seven series (Dallas leads 3-1)

Game 5: 7:30 pm, Thursday, Target Center.

TV, radio: TNT/TruTV; 100.3 FM, iHeartRadio app

Statistics and odds: Tap here.

Opening bell: The Wolves’ 105-100 victory in Game 4 in Dallas on Tuesday was the third time this postseason they survived an elimination game. That’s the most in a single postseason in franchise history. They avoided elimination in Games 6 and 7 of the Denver series as well … The Wolves now are 6-2 on the road in this postseason. They were 6-27 in all their playoff games until this season. The Wolves outscored Dallas in the paint 46-36 in Game 4. That’s the second consecutive game and eighth time in these playoffs they’ve outscored their opponents down there. That makes them 7-1 doing it in their three series so far.

Players to Watch: Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, Wolves. The Wolves’ two stars struck back in Game 5 after their team lost leads in the last five minutes of the Western Conference final series’ first three games. They outscored the Mavericks’ Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving vaunted backcourt 54-44. Edwards approached a triple double with 29 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists while Towns shook off three bad shooting performances — and a lot of loud criticism — to score 20 of his 25 points in the second half. He shot 9-for-13, including 4-for-5 on threes, after he went 0-for-8 in Game 3. Edwards’ 15 career 25-point postseason games are most in franchise history. Kevin Garnett had 14 such games, Latrell Sprewell 7.

Injuries: For Dallas, C Dereck Lively II (neck) and Doncic (knee, ankle) are questionable. For the Wolves, G Mike Conley (calf) is questionable.

Forecast: Yes, no NBA team has come back from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven playoff series. That’s 155-0, but there’s always a first time for everything. When asked what makes him think this Wolves team can do what no other team has done, Conley said, “Really, I think we still haven’t played our best basketball as a group. We had a bunch of turnovers, 14 of them. Fourteen turnovers can lose you any game. We make free throws. We had big nights from our guys. We still have room to improve. That’s the exciting part of our situation. We just know there’s a lot more in the tank.”