Dallas Mavericks WATCH: How Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving Led Dominant Closeout Win Over Timberwolves

The Dallas Mavericks received 36 points each from Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in what proved to be a dominant offensive performance to close out the Minnesota Timberwolves.

May 26, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) and guard Kyrie Irving (11) embrace after the win against the Minnesota Timberwolves in game three of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks used a dominant offensive display to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 126-103 Game 5 victory, clinching a Western Conference finals series victory, resulting in the organization's first NBA Finals appearance since their 2011 championship.

Luka Doncic used the hostile Target Center crowd as motivation, scoring 20 of his 36 points in the first quarter with no shortage of dynamic plays, including deep off-the-dribble 3-pointers, attacking the gap for mid-range jumpers, and thrived in the paint. “That gets me going,” he said regarding the hostile crowd. “Everybody knows that by now.”

May 26, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) and guard Kyrie Irving (11) embrace after the win against the Minnesota Timberwolves in game three of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

“He let his teammates know that it’s time, and they’ve got to take it up a notch,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said of Doncic. “He sent the invites out, and they all came.”

Kyrie Irving scored 32 of his 36 points outside of the opening period. It proved to be a genuinely explosive offensive performance, with tough running hooks, shifty handles leading to dynamic shot creation sequences, and an array of floaters and finishes.

“I thought just being able to use his speed and get to the rim, and then he was playing off of Luka and he got a lot of great looks  – wide open looks,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said of Irving. “But then also being able to pull up going full speed. His ability to stop on a dime and shoot the (mid-range jump shot) was at a high rate.”

It was the fourth postseason game that Doncic and Irving both scored 30 or more points. However, there are two performances when Irving scored over 30 points that Doncic barely finished under the mark, including a 29-point performance and a 28-point outing. The Mavericks superstars have continued to achieve impressive results as a tandem.

Watch an in-depth breakdown of how Doncic and Irving guided the Mavericks' offense in this dominant performance in the embedded YouTube video below. Subscribe for more coverage of the Mavericks, including postgame press conferences, analysis breakdowns, and news updates.

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