The Dallas Mavericks only need two more wins to advance to the NBA Finals. Luka Doncic leads the Texans to their second win over the Minnesota Timberwolves
The Dallas Mavericks have also won their second away game in the NBA playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves and increased their chances of reaching the finals. The Texans prevailed 109:108 (46:60) in the second game of the Western Conference Finals on Friday (local time).
Doncic emerged as the match winner: With three seconds remaining, the Slovenian hit the three-pointer to beat Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert, who was named the league’s best defender this season. Doncic also scored his fifth triple-double of the playoffs with 32 points, 13 assists and ten rebounds. Former Dallas superstar Nowitzki wrote on X shortly after Doncic’s final shot: “Wow”.
The next two games in the best-of-seven series will take place in Dallas, with the third game next Sunday. If the Mavs win both games, they will reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011. Back then, they won the championship with Dirk Nowitzki as their leader
Doncic: “I trust this shot “
“I was just trying to get to my favorite spot and take a shot in reverse, I trust that shot,” Doncic said of his game-winning three-pointer. “As you’ve seen a lot with Luka, he loves that stage, he doesn’t run away from it. He played great the whole game,” said Mavs head coach Jason Kidd, paying tribute to his leader.
Doncic’s co-star Kyrie Irving also played strongly: The playmaker scored 13 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, including a three-pointer before Doncic’s game-winner. The Mavs turned the game around with a 30:22 lead in the final quarter, after trailing by 16 points midway through the third period.
Naz Reid scored 32 points for the Timberwolves, who had dethroned defending champions Denver Nuggets led by three-time MVP Nikola Jokic in the quarter-finals after a strong comeback. Maximilian Kleber was still missing for Dallas due to a shoulder injury.
In the East final, the main round winners Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers will face each other. The Celtics have a 2-0 lead and the series continues on Sunday night (2:30 a.m.).
