Route 66: Star guards score 33 each as Mavericks take 3-0 WCF lead

Irving and Doncic each scored 33 points in the Mavericks’ 116-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, giving them a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals. They combined to shoot 22-for-40 from the field and 8-for-17 from deep, and deliver nine assists.

Dallas lost a double-digit lead in the third quarter, but whenever the game got tight, Irving and Doncic were there to make a big shot. Sometimes back-to-back.

The Mavericks acquired Irving from the Brooklyn Nets at last year’s trade deadline, but a combination of injuries and a porous defense led to them missing the playoffs. This year, their big deadline deal brought in P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, both of whom made big shots late in Game 3.

All these trades have finally paid off and the Mavericks are one win away from the NBA Finals — likely against Irving’s old team, the Boston Celtics. The Kyrie trade took a while to pay off for Dallas, but now, it’s paid off huge.