In a close finale, worthy of a series finale, the Dallas Mavericks They managed to resist the storm of points in the last period to take off and beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third game of the Western Conference final, and thus get one win away from reaching the Western Conference Finals. NBA.
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving They scored 33 points each to end a streak of 12 wins and 3 losses by winning their fifth consecutive playoff game after the rookie center Derek Lively II left with a sprained neck after receiving an accidental blow. No team in NBA playoff history has come back from being down 3-0.
PJ Washington He started the decisive run with a three-pointer from the corner after Doncic passed to Irving, who sent the ball to Washington. The co-stars took over from there. Doncic shot at the line for a four-point lead, Irving drove the crowd wild with a falling jumper and Doncic found Daniel Gafford for an alley-oop dunk and a 113-105 lead with 34 seconds left later.
Dallas Mavericks and their dominant victory
Gafford blocked the layup attempt Mike Conley at the other end. Anthony Edwards He scored 26 points for the Wolves, but only four after scoring eight straight points for Minnesota to tie the Wolves in the third quarter.
Towns scored 14 points but missed all eight 3-pointers, including one when the deficit was four with 1:25 remaining. Doncic, whose game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds of Game 2 in Minnesota put Dallas firmly in control of the series, was 10 of 20 and 5 of 11 from deep. Irving was 12 of 20 and 3 of 6 from long range to bring the Mavs one win closer to their first trip to the NBA Finals since 2011, when they won the franchise’s only championship.
In the second quarter, Lively absorbed the kind of contact which is typically found on football fields not far from Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, the quarterback-tight end duo sitting on the field.
Carlos Mayorga
The rookie of duke He remained on the court holding his head after it snapped forward from the accidental contact. Lively was down for several minutes before appearing dazed as he was helped off the court and taken to the locker room. Lively fell while Mike Conley was driving to attempt a missed shot, and Towns was looking for an offensive rebound when his knee hit Lively’s head in the second quarter.
Lively, 20, and the starting center Daniel Gafford They played a big role in helping Dallas take a 2-0 lead. Lively was 12 of 12 from the field in the series, including three baskets in Game 3.
