Dallas Mavericks’ backcourt duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving continues to be an unsolvable puzzle for the Minnesota Timberwolves’ highly-rated defense in the Western Conference Finals.
Doncic and Irving scored 33 points each on Sunday night to lead the Mavs to a 107-116 win and commanding 3-0 lead in the series. Dallas is now one win away from an NBA Finals appearance and has an opportunity to finish the job on their home court in Game 4.
The Mavs once again thrived in a situation where they were behind. With five minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Wolves had a 104-102 lead. At that point, Doncic and Irving took over the game and were the driving force behind Dallas’ 14-3 run. The duo combined for 21 points in the final period alone, outscoring the entire Wolves team.
Doncic finished with 33 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and five steals, while Irving had three rebounds and four assists on top of his own 33 points. Forward P.J. Washington helped with 16 points and eight rebounds.
“Down the stretch, that’s where we make our money, man,” Irving said after the game via ESPN. “I think we have that poise now, and we’re showcasing just our skill sets out there that a lot of teams have to guard, the depth that we have. A lot of teams have to guard each one of us, and you got to pick your poison.”
The Wolves will now play against history to salvage their season. No team in NBA playoffs history has ever managed to return from being 3-0 down in the series.
