With the Dallas Mavericks set to take on the Boston Celtics for the NBA title, here are some key storylines to watch.
Four more wins.
The Dallas Mavericks on Thursday reached the 2024 NBA Finals after routing the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-103 on the road.
Doncic caught fire right out of the gates, finishing the first quarter with a stunning 20 points on 8 of 11 shooting as Dallas led 35-19. Then Kyrie Irving became dominant in the second, which pushed the lead to 69-40 at halftime.
Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns each led the Wolves with 12 points at the midway point, but the team just had no answers defensively for Dallas' backcourt.
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The third quarter offered a little optimism for Minnesota after a late run, but Dallas erased the fire early into the fourth and held on comfortably.
It may have been the outcome some predicted, but not in the fashion Dallas delivered. The Mavericks' largest lead was 36 points. Minnesota's largest? Two.
Dallas shot 54.8% overall and 44.1% from 3-point range. Minnesota's numbers stood at 42.7% and 31.3%, respectively.
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Doncic and Irving both led Dallas with 36 points apiece. Doncic went 14 of 22 overall while Irving made 14 of 27. P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford also provided double-digit points as starters.
On the other hand, Minnesota was led by Edwards and Towns each dropping 28, but no other player had double-digit points.
Dallas, the No. 5 seed out West, will next meet the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Game 1 is slated for Thursday, June 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
