The stage is officially set for the 2024 NBA Finals, as the Dallas Mavericks managed to close out the series against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.
The Mavs' 124–103 win lifts the team to its first championship appearance since 2011, and there was never really a doubt for most of the contest after a dominant start from Luka Dončić, who scored 20 points in the first quarter.
As has been the case all playoffs long, Dallas put the ball into the hands of its tandem of star guards, Dončić and Kyrie Irving, and let them go to work. The two combined for 72 points in Thursday's series-clinching win and were tied for the game-high in scoring with 36 points apiece.
The Mavericks' other starters and role players lived up to their end of the billing, too, providing quality work on the glass and making life difficult for the Timberwolves offensively. Daniel Gafford's plus-minus of +27 was the highest in the game, and he and Dereck Lively II didn't miss a single field goal attempt between them (6-for-6) while combining for 17 rebounds.
In 17 games during the playoffs, Dončić is averaging 28.7 points per game as he’s helped guide the Mavs, who entered the postseason as the No. 5 seed in the West, through the conference gauntlet. He's now set for the first NBA Finals appearance of his career, where a showdown against the Boston Celtics awaits.
Game 1 is set for next Thursday, June 6 at 8:30 p.m. EST from the TD Garden in Boston, Mass.
KARL RASMUSSEN
