The Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving duo led the Mavericks to a win over the Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
Doncic scored 15 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter, securing a 108-105 victory for Dallas on Wednesday night. Irving added 24 of his 30 points in the first half, providing a strong start for the Mavericks.
Dallas trailed 102-98 after a 3-pointer by Anthony Edwards with 3:37 remaining but responded with an 8-0 run.
For the first time under coach Jason Kidd, the Mavericks won the first game of a playoff series.
Jaden McDaniels continued his strong performance with 24 points for Minnesota, while Edwards managed 19 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. Karl-Anthony Towns struggled with his shot, finishing with 16 points on 6-of-20 shooting.
Towns sparked a late run for the Wolves with a long jumper, a lob to Rudy Gobert, and a 3-pointer, but Doncic ended their 10-0 run with a key 3-pointer. P.J. Washington’s deep shot put Dallas ahead with 1:56 to go.
Towns’ potential game-tying putback dunk was called off for basket interference. Neither team led by more than nine points throughout the game.
Minnesota will host Game 2 on Friday night.
