By james art Luka Doncic picked up right where he left off in May.
After torching the Timberwolves in last season’s Western Conference finals with clutch shooting, Doncic delivered the dagger again in the Dallas Mavericks’ 120-114 victory at Target Center on Tuesday night.
Doncic hit a 33-footer over Nikale Alexander-Walker to give Dallas a 117-109 lead with 1:04 to play. He then let the crowd know about it in the first few lines. The Wolves came close after falling behind by double digits in the fourth, but couldn’t get the stops they needed in the final minutes.
As they did in the playoffs, the Mavericks hit big at big times. Kyrie Irving hit a second-chance three to put them ahead 112-107 with 2:31 to play. Doncic followed with five points. He finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and nine assists.
Irving had 35 points for the Mavs.
Wolves guard Anthony Edwards led all scorers with 37.
Edwards wasted no time getting going on Tuesday night as he scored 24 points in the first quarter against the Mavericks to boost the Wolves to a 34-26 lead after one.
Edwards was shooting from three-point range, which is something he embraced early in the season. He went 6-for-8 from three-point range. He scored eight of the Wolves’ 12 field goals in the first quarter.