As the champions of the Western Conference, the Dallas Mavericks will move on to face the Boston Celtics in the final round of the postseason. For his part, Luka Doncic dropped 36 points and 10 rebounds in the closeout game which was enough for him to accept his Earvin “Magic” Johnson MVP trophy to a ruckus of booing from the hostile crowd.
Minnesota fans booed Luka Doncic as he spoke after winning conference finals MVP. Luka then booed them back pic.twitter.com/vS7aDKuHs6
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) May 31, 2024
The 6’7″ Slovenian guard had the series of his life against the Timberwolves, with averages of 32.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game on 47.3% shooting. This moment marks a high point for his career and it marks the first time that the Mavericks have advanced to the Finals since Dirk Nowitzki led them back in 2011.
Luka Doncic is awarded The Earvin "Magic" Johnson Trophy as he is named the Western Conference Finals MVP 🏆
The @dallasmavs advance to the #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV! pic.twitter.com/T6lrEmTF1n
— NBA (@NBA) May 31, 2024
This type of run always seemed inevitable from Luka, who became the youngest MVP in EuroLeague history at 18 years old. With Jalen Brunson a few years ago, he was able to get as far as the West Finals but now, with Kyrie Irving in the mix, nothing is holding Doncic back from going all the way.
Between Irving, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II, the Mavericks are deeper and more versatile than they’ve ever been before and the Celtics are going to have their hands full trying to slow them down defensively. I think Luka will have his way no matter what, but it depends on what they get from the “other guys” that will determine the NBA champion.
As great as the role-players were this time around, the Celtics have the talent and depth to match the Mavs at every position and it’s going to take more heroics from Doncic and Kyrie Irving to give their team the edge in four more games.
Luka Was Giving His Trophy To Dereck Lively II
During his walk back to the locker room, a cheerful Luka was caught trying to give his trophy to his teammate, Dereck Lively II. Lively quickly refused the hardware and told Doncic on his way out that he wanted nothing to do with it.
Mavericks’ Luka Doncic was ready to give his Magic Johnson WCF MVP trophy to Dereck Lively II pic.twitter.com/gbDZVuB9nw
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) May 31, 2024
Lively, a star rookie for the Mavericks, is not the MVP of the team by any stretch but Luka may be on to something with his show of recognition. toward him Quietly, Lively has been one of the most impactful players in the postseason, and he’s been a key role-player for the Mavericks as a big man with averages of 8.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists in the first three series.
He didn’t play in Game 4, the only one that the Mavericks lost against the Timberwolves, but he returned tonight and provided some key minutes for the Mavericks off the bench. The former Duke big man finished with 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists after the game and he did it all while fighting through an injury.
Luka should feel appreciative toward Lively right now, especially given how much the team has changed since his arrival. If he can maintain this play for the Finals, Luka can pull the Mavericks to the top and they will be champions once again. At this point, Luka has proven that he has no fear, and the team is following his lead on every front right now.
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