Luka Doncic makes it 2-0 for the Mavericks with a magical three as Dallas dreams of the Finals | Relief

There is only one Luka Doncic in the world. There is only one, and he plays in Dallas, unfortunately for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Rudy Gobert. Because it was Doncic, the one and only Mavericks, who won the game by an incredible triple over the four-time Defensive Player of the Year. With the Mavs down two with 12 seconds left in their possession, Minnesota gave Dallas one last chance. Rookie mistake, giving Doncic the final shot because he missed. “You can’t protect me,” he told Gobert, among other unkind words. And a triple to complete the triple-double (32 points, 13 assists, 10 rebounds), a perfect night that left the Mavericks just two wins (109-108) away from returning to the NBA Finals..

They haven’t been this close since 2011, when they beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 2-1. They ended up winning the ring 4-2 against the Heat in LeBron’s first year. There’s still a lot to look forward to in the future, but 0-2 and the next two games at home sound interesting. Teams that win the first two games of a series on the road are 36-5 (87.8%) all-time, although the last to allow a comeback were, coincidentally, the Mavericks.

Already with Doncic in 2021 against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round, although this team is completely different. Much more mature, deep and ready to fight, which is something Minnesota lacked in the second half. Because, as in the first, in the third and final period, they lost the game.

After stealing Game 1, Dallas returned to Target Center with dreams of winning again in Minneapolis, but the Timberwolves had other plans. Naz Reid was the man of the game and Minnesota went into the break strong with Anthony Edwards scoring.. Only Luka Doncic, halfway through a triple-double, kept the Mavs in the game with more than double-digit distance. Dallas had no intention of giving up and in the third quarter managed to reduce the difference to just two points, with the Slovenian acting alone. Kyrie Irving didn’t show up until the end, scoring 13 points in the first 36 minutes and another 13 in the final stages of the match.. By that time, Naz Reid already had seven threes and 23 points, although Minnie’s stars never appeared in the fight.

Edwards, who scored 21 points (5/17), lost two key baskets in the final seconds, and Towns finished the game with 15 (4/16) on the bench behind Reed, who was much more productive on both ends of the floor. Conley had to go on offense with 18 points and 5 assists and Gobert was multi-tasking on both ends of the floor with 16 points, 10 rebounds, half of them on offense, as well as 2 steals and a block.

Not enough against Dallas, which gave up five points in the third quarter and eight more in the final to take an 87-86 lead for the first time since the first quarter. The leading team changed eleven times, the score was equal three times, but Luka Doncic performed as always. Because it’s always him.

Even if the chance to win ends up in P.J. Washington’s hands, whether it’s a Kyrie Irving layup or a dunk from someone in the Mavericks’ internal rotation. Luca always appears in these endings. He waited to face Gobert after Derek Lively II’s block, and the Timberwolves defense took it like it was a great decision.. No one came to the aid of the Frenchman, four-time Defensive Player of the Year and kid without a floater in a giant pool against Doncic. Neither McDaniels, the year’s top defensive quintet pick, nor anyone else came to the rescue, two against one. They allowed Luka to find his favorite shot, the one he was looking for, against the defender he was looking for, in a position that suits him best.

They almost decided to end up in this situation.

He entered with 3.8 remaining and the Timberwolves still had the last one, but the ship had already sailed from Minnesota. Reed failed because the Mavericks defense closed the door on Edwards. And the evening ended with Doncic celebrating in front of the stands after saying something that will surely earn him a sanction of at least $25,000.. Not a lot of money if that three means a trip to the NBA Finals. Nothing beats winning and continuing to win. And while Madrid dreams of another EuroLeague, thousands of kilometers away, Doncic has his own challenge.