When Dallas paired Kyrie Irving with Luka Doncic, it hoped the trade would make them a contender. One season later, the Mavericks on the brink of the NBA Finals.
Kyrie with the left for 27 ️
— NBA (@NBA) May 27, 2024
Tied at 104 on TNT pic.twitter.com/NLQta7UIin
LUKA FADE IS GOOD. MAVS UP 4.
— NBA (@NBA) May 27, 2024
2 minutes to play in Game 3 on TNT! pic.twitter.com/NlT5K1Z96O
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.
Kyrie with the pull-up 3 to tie the game!
— NBA (@NBA) May 27, 2024
4th quarter of Game 3 on TNT pic.twitter.com/xEOikAnni7
Followed by a TOUGH Luka 3!
— NBA (@NBA) May 27, 2024
LOUD in Dallas ️ https://t.co/yQkhb7xnCJ pic.twitter.com/uvb1Uf76b9
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.
P.J. Washington... CLUTCH.
— NBA (@NBA) May 27, 2024
Mavs (leading 2-0) go up 3 late on TNT pic.twitter.com/x76AcUVn6J
GAFFORD ONE HAND FOR THE LOB ‼️
— NBA (@NBA) May 27, 2024
DALLAS IS MAYHEM
TNT pic.twitter.com/Aq2iush7FN
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.
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