The Athletic has live coverage of the Mavericks vs. Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals
By Tim Cato, Jon Krawczynski, Zach Harper and Hunter Patterson
The Dallas Mavericks overcame an 18-point deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road Friday, winning 109-108 to take a 2-0 series lead in the Western Conference finals.
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Luka Dončić sealed the victory with a game-winning stepback 3-pointer over Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. Dončić finished with a game-high 32 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds. Kyrie Irving added 20 points, six assists and four rebounds on 4-of-7 shooting from 3.
Naz Reid, the 2024 Sixth Man of the Year, led the Timberwolves with a playoff career-high 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting from 3-point range. Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns’ struggles in this series continued, as the duo combined for just 36 points on 9-of-33 shooting.
The Mavericks head back to Dallas needing only two more wins to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011. Game 3 will be at 8 p.m. ET Sunday.
Luka Dončić does this
Even when the Mavericks trailed by 18 points, there was always some sense of ruthless inevitability. That Dallas would claw back into the game, that Dončić would ensure it.
It has been Dončić who led the Mavericks to similar comebacks over and over again. It has been Dončić who craved the moment where the result, win or loss, sat upon his shoulders. It’s not a weight but something that seemingly lifts him up to higher highs.
Dončić danced with Gobert for about 10 seconds before finally stepping back for the game-winning 3-pointer, another dagger shot to add to the pantheon he’s been steadily creating since entering the league. It was another winner followed by another guttural scream, another announcement of his arrival that truthfully came a long time ago.
But here’s another reminder, just in case, that he’s Luka Dončić. As soon as you remember, he beats you.
‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/mWIllHmfl1
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) May 25, 2024
Dončić has been to the West finals, but he’s never been here: two wins away from the NBA Finals, two chances to get there coming up as the team heads home to Dallas. Just getting this close means nothing.
In the NBA, nothing is guaranteed. Except, it sometimes feels like, Dončić hitting clutch shots. — Tim Cato, Mavericks beat writer
2-0. @ModeloUSA // #OneForDallas #MFFL pic.twitter.com/zND3bubXke
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) May 25, 2024
Edwards, Towns haven’t shown up
Minnesota is in deep trouble because its two All-Stars haven’t shown up yet in this series.
Edwards had an awful game, making 5 of 17 shots and throwing an errant pass with 12 seconds to go that opened the door for Dončić’s heroics. Towns was 4-of-16 shooting and didn’t play much of the fourth quarter because Reid was a better option.
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That’s the biggest reason the Wolves let an 18-point lead slip away. Dončić and Irving just seem to be much more ready for the moment. They’ve been here before and it shows. Even when shots were not falling for the Mavericks stars, they kept their heads and found teammates for easy offense.
Not so with the Wolves stars. They played with a frenetic energy that was unsettling for a team that is trying to make the first NBA Finals in franchise history.
Dončić had 13 assists, and Irving had six dimes, keeping the Dallas offense going even when the Mavs weren’t making shots. Towns and Edwards couldn’t find anything close to that kind of composure, and now Minnesota is in dire straits heading back to Dallas.
The Wolves have fought back from adversity all season long. But they’ve never faced anything like this. — Jon Krawczynski, Timberwolves beat writer
Learning lesson
Every win and loss for a young, inexperienced group in the postseason is a learning lesson.
And Minnesota is now in the exact position it put the Denver Nuggets in during the second round. Two brutal losses at home. Both games should have been double-digit wins for the Wolves, yet both were one-possession losses.
Last round, they saw what the heart of a champion can do with their backs against the wall. The Nuggets went into Minneapolis and took back home-court advantage with crisp execution. They took the series lead with a fight at home and looked like they’d close it out. But Minnesota never let them, mustering what it hoped would be the beginning of a championship heart.
The problem with trying to steal back home court and saving your season against Dallas is the Mavericks have two elite closers. They can freestyle with the best of them. They can hurt you in every single way on offense. And the Wolves are still trying to get closer to find consistent decision-making.
Minnesota has to grow in its maturity and decision-making in real-time to even have a chance to pull off this rally against Dallas. — Zach Harper, NBA staff writer
Required reading
- Mavericks’ P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford have stood on business since they were kids
- As Timberwolves shut down 3s, Mavericks find another way to win — again
- Kyrie Irving’s basketball renaissance continues, now on the biggest stage
(Photo: David Berding / Getty Images)
