"Doncic Drops 36 Points as Mavericks Dominate Timberwolves in 124-103 Win!"

 Doncic Scores 36 to Propel Mavericks to NBA Finals with 124-103 Win Over Timberwolves

Kyrie Irving also scored 36 points for Dallas.

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic shoots over Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns during the first half of Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference finals in Minneapolis on Thursday. Abbie Parr / AP

MINNEAPOLIS — Luka Doncic scored 20 points in the first quarter and finished with 36 points, his best this postseason. The Dallas Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-103 on Thursday night, winning the Western Conference finals in five games.**

Kyrie Irving also scored 36 points for the Mavericks. They built a 29-point halftime lead on 61% shooting, which deflated the once-energized crowd before most fans got up for their first snack break. The Mavs led by as much as 36 in the third quarter, keeping the Timberwolves' offense completely off balance.

The Mavs, seeded fifth in the West, have a full week to rest before the NBA Finals start in Boston on June 6. This is the franchise’s first Finals appearance since winning the championship in 2011. The Celtics will have had 10 days between games after sweeping Indiana in the Eastern Conference finals.

Anthony Edwards scored 28 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points and 12 rebounds for the third-seeded Wolves. They met their match with the defense-breaking duo of Doncic and Irving after sweeping Phoenix in the first round and then defeating defending champion Denver in a seven-game series.

Irving improved to 15-1 in his career in playoff closeout games.

Doncic set a strong tone by starting 4 for 4, hitting deep shots from 28 and 31 feet while talking trash to the courtside fans with each swish, often with a sly smile. He made a 32-footer later in the first quarter as the Mavs went on a 17-1 run, which they extended to 28-5 over a nine-minute stretch.

It was Doncic’s second 20-point quarter in his postseason career, following a 21-point fourth quarter in the Western Conference finals loss to Golden State in 2022.

Doncic, who shot 14 for 22 and grabbed 10 rebounds, and his skilled partner Irving, who has a championship ring from 2016 with Cleveland, were the superior stars in this series. This Wolves team found its first taste of a sustained postseason run to be tough but perhaps ultimately beneficial.

Though Doncic often waved his arms at the officials when calls didn’t go his way, the 25-year-old played with unshakable confidence and joy from start to finish. As fans taunted him with a “Flopper!” chant when he shot free throws in the third quarter, Doncic smiled and mockingly mouthed the words along with them.

Mavericks Soar to NBA Finals - Doncic Drops 36 in Win Over Timberwolves!

Edwards, despite hitting the 25-point mark for the 15th time in 27 career playoff games, struggled to find his rhythm amid all the double-teams. The Wolves, despite their progress this season, were reminded they don’t yet have a championship-level offense despite his dynamic skills and clutch mentality.

They had several painful possessions in the first half, with the coaches struggling to find a group that could play well together.

As the second quarter ended, Edwards drove to the lane and passed to Kyle Anderson in the corner. Anderson passed back to Towns, who couldn't find a shot he liked. He passed back to Anderson, who tried to move closer and had the shot clock expire on him.

P.J. Washington, who scored 12 points, flexed his arms in celebration of another stifling defensive sequence by the Mavs.

The Mavs got 7-foot-1 rookie Dereck Lively II back from the sprained neck that kept him out of the previous game, restoring the complete rim protection duo with Daniel Gafford that helped them disrupt Rudy Gobert in the post and anyone else who tried to attack the basket.

Gafford had 11 points and nine rebounds, and Lively added nine points and eight rebounds.