Timberwolves HC's pregame jab at Mavericks, Luka Doncic didn’t age well

After avoiding a sweep and extending the Western Conference Finals to Game 5 in Minnesota, the Timberwolves failed to capitalize on a chance to get back into the series with the Dallas Mavericks. Behind stellar play from Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks rolled to a 124-103 victory in Game 5 and will now head to the 2024 NBA Finals.

But prior to Game 5, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch opted to take a bit of a jab at the Mavericks and Doncic while discussing Anthony Edwards as the primary defender on the Dallas star.

Per ESPN's Tim MacMahon: “He does a better job of getting over all those illegal screens they set for Luka," Finch stated.

Whether Finch was attempting to get the attention of the officials or fire up his own team, it backfired quickly. Doncic came out in Game 5 on fire and looked like a man on a mission.

The 25-year-old star scored 20 points in the first quarter to help the Mavericks jump out to a 35-19 lead, and never looked back. Dallas extended that lead to 69-40 at halftime before coasting to the finish and securing a trip to the NBA Finals.

While Finch's comments didn't exactly pan out, Dončciclooked nearly unstoppable out of the gate. He finished the night with 36 points on 14-of-22 shooting while knocking down 6-of-10 attempts from three-point range. 

Doncic also tacked on 10 rebounds and five assists, while fellow star Kyrie Irving also had a stellar performance. Irving also scored 36 points in Game 5, shooting 14-of-27 from the field and 4-of-10 from beyond the arc while dishing out five assists and grabbing four rebounds.