If and when the Celtics face the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, don’t take it personally if Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are being called closers.
There’s good reason.
Even before they were p[aired together in Dallas, Doncic and Irving were regarded as two of the NBA’s most elite scorers, which isn’t a surprise. But if you needed any evidence that the pair could both co-exist and produce in the clutch as teammates on the Mavericks, the pair put on a clinic during Dallas’ 116-107 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday to take a 3-0 series lead in the NBA Western Conference finals.
With Game 4 scheduled for tonight in Dallas, the Mavericks can wrap up the series and confirm a date with the Celtics in the NBA Finals, set to begin in Boston on June 6.
In Game 3, the game was tied at 87 entering the fourth quarter, when the tandem of Irving and Doncic were too much for Timberwolves standout Anthony Edwards to overcome. In a combined 20:37 – Irving played all 12 minutes while Doncic played 8:37 – the Mavericks put on an offensive clinic against the vaunted Minnesota defense, shooting a collective 11-of-15 (including 3-of-3 from 3-point distance) to pull away and move the Wolves within a game of elimination.
