This Thursday the Mavericks finally sealed their third-ever trip to the NBA Finals after beating the Timberwolves 124-103 and finish off a 4-1 series victory in this Western Conference matchup. The Slovenian combined for 72 points with his co-star Kyrie Irving and proved they have what it takes to go all the way for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Now that they are set to face the Celtics starting this June 6, there are so many storylines to follow. This is not only Luka Doncic’s first time in the league’s greatest stage, or Jayson Tatum’s second chance to get a ring, it is also Kristaps Porzingis clash against his former club.
Once the game was over, the Dallas superstar couldn’t hide his excitement. “We’re going to the NBA Finals,” Luka expressed during the on-court celebration in Minneapolis. “Just can’t believe it, man.”
Your WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS MVP: Luka Dončić.#OneForDallas // #MFFL pic.twitter.com/ZSe5b3UktR
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) May 31, 2024
After Boston missed out on their opportunity to conquer the title in 2022, when they fell to Golden State in six games, now they’ll have their second real opportunity in three years. The Mavs, on the other hand, are in the title round for the first time since they earned the championship against the Heat back in 2011.
“Boston’s in the way and in between our goal,” Kyrie said postgame, and then mentioned the importance of living the moment. “Nothing’s guaranteed in this league, especially making it to the finals every year.”
Irving, who won an NBA title with the Cavaliers alongside LeBron James, recalled the importance of playing as a team. “We couldn’t have done it without a collective responsibility, us working together every single day, practicing hard, doing the little things. We should reward ourselves by playing hard,” he said.
The Massachusetts franchise has been resting since Monday night’s sweep against the Pacers, and are waiting for Kristaps Porzingis to recover from his ankle injury and hopefully return for Game 1. “He’s progressing well and he’s working really hard to get back,” said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla.
The Boston club prepares to confront this NBA Finals different than they did two years ago against the Warriors
Back in 2022, Golden State’s championship experience prevailed against the Celtics. Now, they Boston squad feels like they’ve learned their lessons, and will take advantange of the fact that this time around they have more experience in this circumstances than the Mavericks.
“It’s a new challenge. It’s a different situation,” explained center Al Horford, who has been excelling in Porzingis’ absence since the first round of the postseason. “I’m just excited to be in this position and to have this opportunity.”
According to the Boston boss, the fact that they’ll have a whole week to rest and prepare for this series, will be a huge advantage for the Massachusetts side. Mazzulla explained why they won’t waste any time.
“Nothing’s really valuable if you let it go to waste,” Joe assured. “Between now and June 6th, we have to take every experience that we’ve been through, and we’ve got to make sure we take advantage of it and that we utilize it to put ourselves in the best position to win.”
