The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-103 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals to win the series 4-1 and will now begin preparations for an NBA Finals match-up against the Boston Celtics.
The Mavericks took their first lead less than a minute into the action and never looked back. The Timberwolves never managed to reclaim the lead in a game that the Mavericks controlled throughout.
Dallas guard Luka Doncic opened the game firing on the offensive side of the ball, scoring 10 of the Mavericks’ first 12 points as they took an early 12-6 lead with 9:27 left in the first quarter.
This hot shooting from Doncic continued as he scored nine straight points to extend their lead to 30-18 with just 2:24 left in the quarter.
The Mavericks finished the quarter with a 35-19 lead following a last-second layup made by guard Kyrie Irving, who finished the quarter with four points but made multiple key defensive plays that led to baskets for the team.
Doncic finished the quarter with 20 points while shooting 8/11 from the field and making four of his six attempts from behind the three-point line.
Dallas held the Timberwolves to just 30.8% shooting from the field while forcing six turnovers in the first 12 minutes of action.
The Mavericks’ hot shooting from the first quarter continued to start the second, with Irving making a contest stepback jump shot.
Forward Maxi Kleber followed up the next possession by making a three-point jump shot, with guard Josh Green making a layup to cap off a 7-2 run and give the Mavericks a 42-21 with 10:42 left in the quarter.
Minnesota cut the lead slightly over the next few minutes of game time following eight straight points from forward Karl-Anthony Towns, as the Mavericks still maintained a 52-34 lead with 5:35 remaining in the half.
Dallas ended the half on a 17-4 run, taking the largest lead of the series by either team and going into halftime with a 69-40 lead.
Doncic finished the first half with 25 points while pulling down six rebounds, with Irving finishing the half with 19 points after scoring 15 in the second quarter alone.
Minnesota shot just 34.1% from the field and 16.7% from behind the three-point line in the first half, while the Mavericks made 61% of their attempts from the field and a staggering 60% of their attempts from behind the three-point line.
The third quarter of the game was more of the same, as the Mavericks continued to score easily on the offensive side of the game while forcing turnovers and difficult shots from the Timberwolves.
Dallas extended their lead to 87-54 following a flurry of jump shots by Doncic, Irving, and forward P.J. Washington with 6:29 remaining in the third quarter.
The Timberwolves managed to cut the Mavericks’ lead down to end the quarter, as Dallas entered the final 12 minutes of the game with a 97-73 lead.
The Mavericks stayed in attack mode to start the fourth quarter as their lead once again grew to 113-88 with 6:08 left in the game following multiple jump shots by Irving and Doncic, who banked in a deep three-point jump shot over Towns.
Dallas removed the starters from the court late in the fourth quarter after growing their lead to 117-92 with 3:02 remaining in the game.
The Mavericks’ bench players stayed aggressive in the game’s final minutes, securing the team’s 124-103 victory.
Doncic finished the game with 36 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, with Irving accumulating 36 points while shooting 14/27 from the field.
Washington also managed to score 12 points in the game, as rookie center Dereck Lively II scored just 9 points but led the Mavericks with a team-high three blocks.
Lively also finished the series having made all 16 of his shot attempts across the five games, which is tied for the most field goals attempted without a miss in any NBA playoff series.
The Mavericks ended the game shooting 54.8% from the field and making 44.1% of their attempts from behind the three-point line.
This win gives the Mavericks a 4-1 series victory in the Western Conference Finals, as they have now advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since the 2011 season.
The Mavericks have now been to three NBA Finals since the franchise was formed in 1980, with the team having a 1-1 record during their previous two appearances.
Dallas will play the Boston Celtics in the first game of the series on June 6.