Luka Doncic shone in the final quarter, scoring 15 of his 33 points to propel the Dallas Mavericks to a 108-105 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game One of the Western Conference Finals.
Doncic described the game as a relay race, with Kyrie Irving starting strong by scoring 24 points in the first half to keep the Mavericks in the running. Doncic then took over in the second half, ensuring the win for Dallas on Wednesday night in Minneapolis.
“Amazing,” Doncic remarked. “Kyrie got us going. Without him, we’d probably be down 20 at half-time, so I had to help him in the second half.”
Irving finished the game with 30 points, shooting 12-for-23. Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II were close to achieving double-doubles, contributing 10 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 points, 11 rebounds respectively.
For the Timberwolves, Jaden McDaniels led with 24 points, hitting 6 of 9 from beyond the arc. Anthony Edwards added 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists, while Karl-Anthony Towns scored 16 points.
The Mavericks outscored Minnesota 26-22 in the fourth quarter, sealing the three-point win with a 49.4% field goal percentage (43 for 87). Minnesota struggled with a 42.7% shooting rate (38 for 89).
Edwards admitted the team was fatigued after their intense Game Seven win over the Denver Nuggets in the semifinals. “You all can see it. We were a step behind everybody, especially myself,” he said.
Dallas went on a crucial 13-0 run to take a 97-89 lead with 7:38 left. Doncic initiated the run with seven points and capped it off with free throws. Minnesota responded with a 10-1 run, briefly leading 99-98 after a three-pointer from Towns.
However, the Mavericks quickly regained the lead with back-to-back three-pointers from Doncic and PJ Washington. Doncic then added a step-back jumper, making it 106-102 with 49.2 seconds remaining, and Dallas held on for the win.
The Timberwolves had a slim 83-82 lead entering the fourth quarter. Gafford’s alley-oop dunks and Derrick Jones Jr.’s dunk gave Dallas its first lead since the opening quarter. Irving’s last-second scoring burst in the first half kept Dallas within three points at the break, 62-59.
The teams will meet again on Friday night for Game Two. “That’s only one,” Doncic said. “We’ve got three more to go.”
