Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving dominate in Game 5 vs. Timberwolves, send Mavericks to NBA Finals

On Thursday, Doncic came out on fire. He outscored the Timberwolves by himself in the first quarter, 20-19, ending the night with 36 points (14-of-22), including six three-pointers (6-of-10), 10 rebounds and five assists. 

Doncic averaged 32.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists in the series, earning conference finals MVP honors. 

Meanwhile, a motivated Doncic was also feeling a little ornery, taking every opportunity to talk trash to the Timberwolves bench, fans in the stand and even Snoop Dogg. 

Likewise, Irving played a significant role in the Mavericks' win. 

Like Doncic, Irving finished with 36 points (14-of-27), adding five assists and four rebounds. He helped the Mavericks pull away early in the second half, hitting several big three-pointers and finishing with four for the game (4-of-10).

Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns combined for 54 points to help the Timberwolves stave off elimination in Game 4. Despite scoring 28 points apiece on Thursday, they were rendered a non-factor by the Mavericks for most of the night. 

Edwards was obviously disappointed after the loss, but he singled out Doncic as the reason the Timberwolves were going home. 

The stage is now set for an epic showdown as they prepare to take on the Celtics, who advanced on Monday after completing a sweep of the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals. The Celtics are a formidable opponent, but they aren't invincible, especially considering they needed to overcome fourth-quarter deficits in three of the four games against the Pacers.

The Mavericks' quest for the franchise's second Larry O'Brien Trophy begins June 6 with Game 1 of the NBA Finals at 8:30 p.m. ET.