The Dallas Mavericks will face the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1 in the Western Conference finals.
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving each scored 36 points, leading the Mavericks to a dominant 124-103 victory in Game 5 in Minnesota.
Slovenian star Doncic, 25, set the tone with 20 points in the first quarter, propelling Dallas to a commanding 69-40 halftime lead. The Timberwolves were unable to mount a comeback.
This marks the Mavericks’ first Finals appearance since winning their lone NBA title in 2011 and their third Finals appearance overall.
The Mavericks advanced to the conference finals by defeating the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round and top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the semifinals.
The best-of-seven NBA Finals will begin in Boston on Thursday.
The Celtics are aiming for a record 18th NBA title in their 23rd Finals appearance.
Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns each scored 28 points for the Timberwolves, who swept the Phoenix Suns 4-0 in the first round and upset the defending champions, the Denver Nuggets, in the semifinals.
However, their typically strong defense couldn’t contain the spectacular Doncic throughout the series.
“It was Luka magic mode,” said Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd.
“He set the tone and then made it easier for everyone else. Everybody else stepped up.”
Irving took over the scoring in the second quarter and will be making his first NBA Finals appearance since 2017.
“I was enjoying it; you’re just watching a special performance unfold,” said Irving.
“When Luka starts off a game like that, we’re a tough team to beat.”