Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving each scored 33 points as the Dallas Mavericks secured a commanding 116-107 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night, taking a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.
The Mavericks sealed the win with a decisive 12-3 run in the closing moments, marking their fifth consecutive playoff victory. Rookie center Dereck Lively II exited the game with a sprained neck following accidental contact from Karl-Anthony Towns’ knee.
With no team in NBA playoff history overcoming a 3-0 deficit, the Mavericks are on the brink of advancing to the NBA Finals. Game 4 is scheduled for Tuesday night in Dallas.
P.J. Washington ignited the pivotal run with a corner 3-pointer, initiated by a pass from Doncic to Irving, who then found Washington open.
Doncic and Irving assumed control from there, with Doncic hitting a crucial shot in the lane and Irving thrilling the crowd with a falling-down jumper. Doncic later connected with Daniel Gafford for an alley-oop dunk, extending the Mavericks’ lead to 113-105 with 34 seconds remaining after Gafford’s block on Mike Conley’s layup attempt.
Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 26 points, but his scoring output dwindled after an eight-point burst in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 14 points but struggled from beyond the arc, missing all eight of his attempts, including a critical one late in the game.
Doncic shot 10-of-20 from the field and 5-of-11 from 3-point range, while Irving converted 12-of-20 shots, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, propelling the Mavericks within reach of their first NBA Finals appearance since 2011.
The game saw a concerning moment in the second quarter when Lively sustained a neck injury from accidental contact with Towns’ knee while pursuing a rebound. Lively, who had been instrumental in the Mavericks’ 2-0 series lead, was helped off the court and taken to the locker room for evaluation.
Despite the setback, Lively had been perfect from the field in the series, going 12-of-12, including three makes in Game 3.
