Luka Doncic led the Mavericks alongside Kyrie Irving to a 116-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3 of their Western Conference Final matchup. The Mavs have taken a 3-0 series lead and Doncic is excited about the prospect of his maiden NBA Finals but isn’t willing to take his eyes off the Timberwolves until they eliminate them.
“I don’t know what to say, but it feels great. We gotta think about the next game. We gotta play with the same mentality. They’re not gonna go away. No way. We need to prepare for the next game and think about the next game.”
Luka Doncic on being a win away from the NBA Finals: "I don't know what to say, but it feels great. We gotta think about next game. We gotta play with the same mentality. They're not gonna go away. No way. We need to prepare for the next game…"
Full interview:… pic.twitter.com/bQauJWgfQe
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) May 27, 2024
Doncic put up 33 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and five steals in the win over the Timberwolves. This was his third consecutive game of over 30 points against the Wolves, improving his series average to 32.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists.
Doncic struggled through the opening two rounds due to injury and was questionable for Game 3, but there’s a noticeable difference in his play since Game 5 of the second round.
The Mavericks are likely headed to a Finals matchup against the Boston Celtics, with both teams holding 3-0 leads over the Conference opponents. This would be the first time the Mavs have faced a team other than the Miami Heat in the Finals, matching up with them in the 2006 and 2011 NBA Finals.
Luka Doncic Shares What He’s Learned From Kyrie Irving
All the plaudits for tonight’s win are to be shared between Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, as the pair combined for 66 points to put the Timberwolves away. Doncic got real on how Kyrie keeps helping him dig deep to close out games, with the Slovenian guard sharing what Irving said to him when Luka complained about fatigue.
“A lot. When we were winning by nine on the last possession I told him, ‘I’m tired as sh*t.’ He told me that’s the way it’s supposed to be. He brought that calmness to our team, to me, the maturity, and it’s been unbelievable to have him on our team. Learning from him every day, positive energy always, just a blessing having him on our team.”
Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic on what he’s learned from Kyrie Irving:
“A lot. When we were winning by nine the last possession I told him ‘I’m tired as sh*t.’ He told me that’s the way it’s supposed to be. He brought that calmness to our team, to me, the maturity, and… pic.twitter.com/VuKLnVqtDM
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) May 27, 2024
This partnership is living up to the billing, with the pair being hailed as one of the greatest backcourts in NBA history. Given how much hate they got when they were partnered up in February 2023, this is the best way they could have responded to the haters.
Irving is averaging 27.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in the series against the Wolves, with he and Luka slicing the Wolves’ defense apart. The best defensive team in the NBA has no answer for this magical backcourt partnership, and that’s what’s put them in a 3-0 hole.
Anthony Edwards is a future superstar, but his light isn’t as bright as Luka’s or Kyrie’s at the moment. He’s averaging 22.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 8.0 assists this series, looking fatigued in the first deep playoff run of his career. With Karl-Anthony Towns not being of any use on offense either, this series looks all but over already.
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