The Dallas Mavericks dominated the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on their way to a 4-1 series victory. This is the first NBA Finals appearance for the Mavericks since that historic run back in 2011. This game was over from the start as Luka Donćić outscored the Timberwolves by himself in the first quarter (20-19). Luka’s aggressive mindset seemed to be aimed at a fan waving a handkerchief, as every time he made a basket in the first quarter, he would look over to that fan. He would wrap up the first half with 25 points and finish the game with 36 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. This impressive stat line and series performance from Donćić earned him the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals MVP Award.
Luka’s energy and aggressiveness was matched by the Maverick’s other star, Kyrie Irving, who also poured in 36 points and 5 assists. Along with the 72 points the duo dropped on the Wolves, it was also efficient, with Kyrie and Luka shooting above 50% from the field. Along with the dynamic duo going off on the Wolves, poor shooting and lack of intensity led to their demise. Anthony Edwards and Karl Anthony Towns tried to keep the Wolves in it as they both scored 28 points, but it wasn’t enough to stave off elimination as the Mavericks won 124-103. With this blowout victory the Mavericks are set to take on the best team record wise in the NBA, the Boston Celtics.
The Timberwolves went 0-3 at home during this series and were 1-5 at home in the past two series after having the third-best home record in the West in the regular season (30-11). Although a disappointing way to end the season for the Wolves, they reached the WCF for the first time in 20 years and defeated the defending champion Denver Nuggets in the 2nd round of the NBA Playoffs. With a young, promising star in Anthony Edwards and a solid core around him, Minnesota’s future is bright and expensive.
So now the NBA Finals matchup is set between the Celtics and the Mavericks. In their two matchups this season, Boston won both (138-110 and 119-110). Boston has been the favorite to win the NBA finals all season long, and that trend now continues as the Celtics are favored to win the series over the Mavericks. With a defensive backcourt of Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and stars like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis, this matchup may prove more difficult than the Timberwolves.
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