- Thursday night’s Mavericks vs Timberwolves Game 5 sealed victory for the Dallas team
- It ended in 124 – 103 win in favour of the Dallas Mavericks
- Dallas Mavericks put on a superb show of dominance
Thursday night’s Mavericks vs Timberwolves Game 5 sealed victory for the Dallas team in the Western Conference finals posting a 124 – 103 win.
With a 4 -1 lead in the conference finals series, the Dallas Mavericks will face the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. The Celtics hammered the Indiana Pacers 105 – 102 in the last game of the Eastern Conference finals.
How Was Mavericks vs Timberwolves Game 5?
Dallas Mavericks put on a superb show of dominance at Target Center in Minneapolis where they crushed Minnesota Timberwolves 124 – 103.
Winning Game 5 of the Western Conference finals was crucial for the Mavs following Game 4 loss to the Wolves.
Luka Doncic led the offensive for the Mavericks taking steady control of the court in the first and second half. Doncic managed to score 12 points in only 153 seconds after the game started.
Mavericks vs Timberwolves Game 5. Photo/DraftKings Network
His incredible ball possession gave the Wolves a hard time as he outscored the Timberwolves 21–20 on his own in the opening quarter.
The majority of his baskets, including an off-dribble 3-pointer from the halfcourt logo, were accompanied by spectators’ sneers at courtside and it got him upset.
This did not stop him from continuing with his mission for the day which was clearly getting Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals.
His co-star Kyrie Irving took charge of action in the second quarter of Mavericks vs Timberwolves Game 5. He impressively snuck through the Wolves’ defence and scored 15 points.
Irving knew his way to winning the Western Conference finals, especially having played in three other finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Doncic and Irving made history in the NBA by breaking a 23-year-old posted in 2001 by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. The Mavericks duo managed to score at least 35 points each in a conference finals match.
The last time it happened was in 2001 when Shaq and Bryant were flexing their muscles on the court. Irving and Doncic scored a combined 44 points in the first half of Game 5.
Dallas Mavericks closed at 69 points in this first half of the game while the Timberwolves trailed with only 40 points.
It is the biggest score margin in the first half of a conference finals game ever played in the NBA.
Why Did Minnesota Timberwolves Lose Game 5?
Dallas Mavericks proved too much of a competitor for the Minnesota Timberwolves all through the match. It was especially tough for the Timberwolves in the second half trying to bridge a 29-point gap from the first half.
However, the Mavs were all out with their offensive headed to the NBA Finals. The Timberwolves gave up an alley-oop to P.J. Washington from Dončiće on the opening play of the third quarter.
They managed to score three points but they couldn’t bridge the gap fast enough as they stared at 24 points lead by the Mavs going into the fourth quarter.
Minnesota Timberwolves crash against Dallas Mavericks. Photo/San Diego Union Tribune
Still, Irving did not give them a breather making 17 perfect points in the second half of the game. Dallas’ rookie Dereck Lively II joined the attack and with a 16-or-16 shot further increased their lead in Mavericks vs Timberwolves Game 5.
Timberwolves’ stars Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns played Game 5 as their most difficult match in the conference finals series.
It wasn’t as smooth sailing as their previous game where they narrowly beat the Mavs 105 – 100 forcing their way to Game 5.
Nevertheless, they had slim chances of getting to the NBA Finals. They required three straight wins which was impossible.
When are the NBA Finals 2024?
A seven-series NBA Finals in 2024 between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks starts on June 6. Game 1 of the seven NBA Finals matches will be played at Boston’s home court, TD Garden Arena.
This is the Mavericks’ first NBA Finals since 2011 when they won their only championship. On the other hand, the Celtics will play in the championship finals for the 23rd time.
The Green Army has won 17 NBA championships in the past and they are now chasing their 18th championship title.
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