MINNEAPOLIS — After failing to eliminate the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals in Game 4 at home, the Dallas Mavericks got the job done at Target Center in Game 5. The Mavs won a resounding 126-103 victory, earning a 4-1 series victory.
“It was a very hard, very hard road,” Doncic said. “But we’re not done. We have four more left.”
Doncic got off to a hot start, scoring 12 of the Mavericks’ first 16 points with just one missed shot after his first six attempts. Minnesota continued to deploy Anthony Edwards as Doncic’s primary defender while having Jaden McDaniels control Kyrie Irving. Dallas led by eight points during that stretch.
“Set the tone. I just have to set the tone,” Doncic said of his strong start. “It is more or less that.”
The way Doncic was scoring showed the rhythm he was in throughout this game. He was hitting 3-point attempts from deep off the line, both off the dribble and with a catch-and-shoot. He slipped into the gap in pick-and-rolls for jumpers and short-range finishes. All while continuing to find his teammates open on the perimeter and at the edge with lobs.
“I enjoyed it like everyone else, man. He scored 20 points in six or seven minutes, and you’re just watching a special performance unfold,” Irving said of Doncic. “As a teammate, you just want to keep doing the little things to improve the lead a little bit and keep playing well. We were happy where we were, but we weren’t satisfied because we knew it was was long. But when Luka starts the match like that, we are a difficult team to beat.”
The Timberwolves went on a 10-2 run to tie it at 18-18 in a sequence in which Edwards stole the ball from Doncic and finished in transition, followed by Mike Conley hitting a corner 3-pointer. Instead of settling into the game, Minnesota was outscored by a staggering 51-22 margin for the remainder of the first half, allowing Dallas to take a 69-40 halftime advantage.
Doncic found Lively for a late lob to break the tie, then Washington got a wide-open finish in transition. Doncic continued the momentum by sneaking into the gap for a mid-range jumper, making it a 6-0 run for a 24-18 advantage. Doncic didn’t stop there. He used a window of space to make a deep 3-pointer, then hit a mid-range jumper, making the score 30-18. Entering the timeout with 2:23 left in the first half, he had personally dominated Minnesota, as he had 20 points.
Dallas led by as many as 16 points in the opening period after Doncic attacked downhill before finding Gafford for an emphatic alley-oop slam, followed by Irving beating the buzzer on a drive and finishing. The Mavericks led 35-19 early in the second quarter. There was a clear difference in the Mavericks’ ability to protect the rim early on, with Lively back in the fold. Dallas started the second quarter even with Maxi Kleber and Lively playing side by side.
Irving hit a step-back jumper from mid-range to open the period, then Kleber hit a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer to make it 40-19. Momentum remained in the Mavericks’ favor until Minnesota brought back Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert for a time, often attacking with Towns running downhill out of Horns sets.
“I think for Kai, being able to play Luka and vice-versa (was big),” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “But there, in the first half, Luka sent the message to Kai, and Kai understood the message and I took it in the second half.
Later, Gobert went to the bench with Reid next to Towns to provide five-out offense. Minnesota’s defensive approach became an intense blitz on Irving and Doncic, creating opportunities to exploit 4-on-3 situations, including using Doncic as a back screener in Stack pick-and-roll to serve as a release valve for Irving.
While Doncic controlled the game on both ends, including a steal against Reid pulling the chair into the post for a steal before it ultimately led to a 3-pointer for Washington, Dallas continued to dominate. The Mavericks were up by as many as 22 points before the break, with Irving warming up on jump shots while finding open teammates.
After Doncic’s 3-pointer was followed by Irving hitting a deep jab step jumper, the Mavericks’ lead reached 29 points. A final buffer on Minnesota’s poor first half was a shot clock violation on the team’s final possession, involving Edwards getting help on a drive and then Towns facing two defenders making extra efforts to prevent a 3-point attempt. The ball found Anderson in the corner and he held onto the ball too long before time expired.
With a 69-40 advantage at halftime, the Mavericks’ superstar tandem of Doncic and Irving combined to outscore Minnesota by 44 points. Doncic had 25 points, six rebounds and three assists at the break, while Irving added 19 points and three assists. As a team, Dallas shot 25-41 (61.0%) overall and 9-15 (60.0%) from deep, while Minnesota was just 15-44 (34.1%) from the floor and 2-12 (16.7%) from the perimeter. . Outside of Towns and Edwards scoring 12 points each so far, the Timberwolves have received 16 points on 6-25 (24.0%) shooting and 1-8 (12.5%) from distance.
Coming out of halftime, Doncic threw a high pass to Washington, who completed the alley-oop dunk over Gobert. Doncic then crossed the line on a double drag for a floater, with Minnesota over-committing to the roller. As Towns moved away from the perimeter, Dallas used another surge to go up 36 points. It started with Derrick Jones Jr. passing a good shot for a Washington big on the wing for the 3-pointer, then Doncic attacked downhill to foul a floater against contact but missed the free throw .
Irving had a hot sequence to keep the momentum going, with a short-range jumper followed by a perimeter jumper, all with his nifty handle creating space. Minnesota began to rally, using a 3-point basket from Edwards to cut it to 27 points with 5:41 left in the third quarter. Irving calmed Minnesota down with a mid-range pull-up jumper after a timeout. Irving hit a momentum-killing shot seemingly every time the Timberwolves tried to rally.
A Towns transition after a Kleber turnover cut the Mavericks’ lead to 22 late in the third quarter until Doncic attacked downhill for a floater. Dallas led 97-73 entering the final period. Minnesota was unable to take advantage of Doncic’s rest on the bench to start the match.
Doncic returned to the court with 7:06 left in regulation as Dallas led 108-85. After Doncic. banked in a 3-pointer, Irving reached the rim for the scoop. Both players reached 36 points on the night with half of the fourth quarter remaining. Minnesota continued to play hard for the rest of regulation, but didn’t have enough time to come back.
A series of Lively dunks created first by Irving and the second by Doncic ended the game. Both teams put it away with 3:02 left on the game clock after the timeout.
Looking ahead, the Mavericks will face the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on June 6 at TD Garden.
“I mean, they’re the best team in the NBA. They had the best record by far,” Doncic said. “They have incredible weapons on offense and defense. So we’re going to have to play really tough, incredible basketball to beat them.”
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