Luka Doncic scored 15 of his game-high 33 points in the 4th quarter, and Kyrie Irving added 30 as the Dallas Mavericks closed the game with a 10-3 run to secure a 108-105 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Doncic and Irving combined for 63 points, improving Dallas to 15-8 this season when the duo scored 60+ points together.
In a tightly contested game where neither team held a double-digit lead, the Mavs and Wolves traded significant runs in the final period, with Dallas having the final answer. Minnesota outshot Dallas from beyond the arc, making 18 three-pointers to the Mavs’ six, giving them a 54-18 edge in points off threes. However, Dallas dominated the paint with a 62-38 advantage and shot an impressive 94.1% (16-17) from the free-throw line compared to Minnesota’s 61.1% (11-18).
Dallas became the fifth team in playoff history to win a game despite making at least 12 fewer threes than their opponent. The last team to achieve this was the Lakers, who defeated Golden State in last year’s second round despite a 15-three deficit.
Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels led his team with 24 points, hitting a career-high six threes. Anthony Edwards contributed 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists, making five threes, while big men Naz Reid and Karl-Anthony Towns combined for five more.
Doncic, who scored 19 of his 33 points in the second half, including 15 in the fourth quarter, led the Mavs’ rally. Two years after exiting the West Finals against the Warriors, Doncic and Irving are now spearheading Dallas to a 1-0 lead in the series. The duo became the sixth pair of teammates to each score 30+ points in their first Conference Finals game together, the first since Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday in 2021 for Milwaukee.
Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals tips off on Friday at 8:30 ET on TNT.
