Luka Doncic knocked down the go-ahead 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds left, and the Dallas Mavericks held on for a 109-108 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals on Friday night in Minneapolis.
Doncic registered a triple-double with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists. Kyrie Irving finished with 20 points, and Daniel Gafford scored 16 on 8-for-10 shooting.
The Mavericks seized a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series as they head to Dallas for the next two games.
Naz Reid led the Timberwolves with 23 points. He shot 8-for-13 from the field and 7-for-9 from beyond the arc to give Minnesota an opportunity to win, but he missed his final attempt from 3-point range as the buzzer sounded.
Anthony Edwards scored 21 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished seven assists for Minnesota. Mike Conley contributed 18 points.
The Timberwolves led 108-103 with 1:29 to go before Dallas made its final run.
Irving drained a 3-pointer at the 1:05 mark. Jaden McDaniels and Edwards lost turnovers on Minnesota’s next two possessions before Doncic’s winning shot.
Gafford provided energy for the Mavericks throughout the game. In one sequence, he blocked a 3-pointer on defense and sprinted the length of the court to finish with a layup to give the Mavericks a 96-94 edge with 5:55 remaining.
The Mavericks trailed 86-79 entering the fourth quarter.
The Timberwolves enjoyed a 68-52 lead after Conley made a pair of free throws with 9:07 to go in the third quarter.
Dallas responded with a 13-3 run to cut its deficit to 71-65 with 5:40 remaining in the third. Doncic capped the run with a floating jump shot from 10 feet.
Minnesota led 60-48 at the half.
Edwards scored 10 points in the first quarter to lift the Timberwolves to a 32-26 edge. He made a basket, a 3-pointer and five of six free-throw attempts.
Minnesota maintained the pressure in the second quarter. Conley put the Timberwolves on top by 14 points with a floating jump shot with 1:32 left in the half, but Josh Green responded with a basket with 1:10 to go before the break.
–Field Level Media