Dončić dagger completes Mavericks’ 18-point fightback over Wolves in Game 2
Luka Dončić hit the go-ahead three-pointer as Rudy Gobert guarded it at the top of the key with three seconds left, posting his fifth triple-double of the playoffs and lifting the Dallas Mavericks to a 109-108 victory and a 2-1 led. 0 lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals Friday night.
Dončić had 32 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his eighth triple-double in 42 postseason games for the Mavericks, who erased an 18-point deficit late in the second quarter and still trailed by 16 midway through the third quarter.
Naz Reid went 7 for 9 from 3-point range for 23 points, but his final attempt at the buzzer went in and out and sent the Wolves to Dallas for Game 3 on Sunday in a big hole after another off night by stars Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Cities.
Kyrie Irving had 13 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer in the corner with 1:05 left to pull the Mavericks within two minutes. Then the Wolves posted a turnover around a short miss by Dončić. Edwards recklessly threw the ball out of bounds with 13 seconds left, giving the Mavericks a chance to win.
Dončić took the inbounds pass and dribbled to set up a Dereck Lively II screen that sparked a Wolves turnover, with NBA All-Defensive second team pick Jaden McDaniels falling with Lively’s roll and Defensive Player of the Year Gobert left on top of the key.
After the slide, Doncic flexed his arms and shouted at the stunned crowd as his teammates surrounded him.
The lead for both sides was three points or less from 10:50 remaining until 1:29 until Edwards – who had 21 points but shot 11 for 33 in the series – sank two free throws for a 108-103 lead. That came moments after Irving missed both foul shots, causing the crowd to howl in honor of the promotion awarding a free Chick-fil-A sandwich.
Mike Conley scored 18 points and Gobert had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Wolves, who needed Reid – the NBA Sixth Man of the Year – more than ever. His top-of-the-key swish late in the third quarter gave the Wolves an 86-79 lead, just after the Mavericks closed the gap hard with a 21-7 spurt — mostly while Conley rested — over a span of time from 6:36. .
Irving, who scored just five points in the first half after making 24 of his 30 before halftime in Game 1, gave the Mavericks their first lead since 7-6 with a three-pointer to cap an 8-0 run that capped the fourth started. quarter and made it 87-86.
Dončić, who thrived in the fourth quarter of Game 1 and finished with 33 points, has been battling what the Mavericks listed in the league’s official injury report as a sprained right knee and left ankle soreness.
When subbed off late in the first quarter, Dončić ran straight to the locker room before returning to the bench for his next shift. After running the floor for a fast-break layup late in the second quarter, Dončić was laboring and limping on the way back. He shot 5 for 14 before halftime.
The beauty of the 25-year-old Slovenian superstar’s game is that he hardly needs full power to dominate. He had Minnesota’s league-leading defense paying attention to so many possessions with his laser-like passing.
The Wolves were criticized by the coaching staff for their effort and execution between games, and they stayed true to their form as a strong rebounding team after the few times they went down this season. Conley kept the offense sharp and cunning when he took the initiative.