The biggest NBA legends have defining moments in the playoffs. Luka Doncic already has a bunch, but his performance in Game 6 of the 2024 NBA Western Conference Finals has to rank up there as his greatest so far. I know that’s a tall order, considering that Doncic once matched the Phoenix Suns’s entire team’s scoring output in a half in a Game 7. I mean, he also had 42 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in his first ever playoff game.
Even with exploits like that, what Doncic did to the Minnesota Timberwolves was nothing short of incredible. He set the tone in the first quarter, scoring 22 points, making his first five shots on the way to an 8 of 11 performance (4 of 6 from three) in just 12 minutes of play. That, of course, included a “fuck you” three from the logo.
Doncic slowed down a bit in the second quarter, but for good reason. Kyrie Irving, who had a quiet first quarter, started to get it going in the second period. Seeing his co-star feeling it, Doncic deferred to him, which let Irving finish the first half with 19 points after shooting 5 of 5 from the field in the second quarter. In classic Uncle Drew fashion, he even found himself with a wide open long middie and… decided to bank it in.
After a 22-1 run in the first quarter, and then a 17-4 run to close out the second quarter, the Mavericks found themselves with a 69-40 lead at the end of the first half.
It’s not even that the Wolves’ two stars weren’t contributing. Karl-Anthony Towns continued his good shooting with 12 points on 5 of 10 makes in the first half, while Anthony Edwards had 12 points while making 4 of 9 shots. They were, quite simply, outgunned. The two would finish with 28 points apiece in defeat.
In a scene eerily reminiscent of the Game 7 against the Suns a couple of years ago, the Mavericks had built such a big lead that no matter how hard the Timberwolves tried, and they did try, there just wasn’t any way for them to cut the deficit. They outscored the Mavericks 33-28 in the third quarter, and then 30-27 in the fourth, but never found a way to make a big run like they did against the Denver Nuggets in the previous series.
By the time the dust settled, we had witnessed an all-time performance from the best offensive backcourt duo in the history of the game. Doncic finished the game with 36 points, 10 rebounds, five assist and two steals, while Irving had 36 points, four rebounds and five assists. The two combined for an INSANE 28 of 49 from the field and 10 of 20 from three – the complete opposite of their dismal 13 of 39 performance in their Game 4 loss. This was the second time they had matched each other’s scoring, along with getting 33 apiece in their Game 3 win.
This game was special for both Doncic and Irving. With the stakes involved, and the type of team they were facing, one that had dethroned the reigning champions, no one would have blamed the Mavericks for losing Game 5. Instead, they never even let the Timberwolves sniff a chance.
The star pair certainly didn’t do it alone. Daniel Gafford made plenty of energy plays, PJ Washington had his moments, and Derreck Lively II, who returned in Game 5 after missing the previous game with a neck injury, went 16 of 16 overall from the field for the series.
With the series wrapped up, Dallas now have only one thing on their minds: a clash with the mighty Boston Celtics for the Larry O’Brien trophy. Although the Celtics have the more talented team on paper, the Mavericks have shown that their two killers can’t be counted out.
