Luka Doncic uses signature shot to help Mavericks steal Game 1 away from Wolves in Western Conference finals

Luka Doncic may not be 100 percent healthy, but as many superstars do, he found a way to win courtesy of clutch moments in the fourth quarter as the Dallas Mavericks stole Game 1 of the Western Conference finals at the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“Just said to myself, ‘We got to win this game. I got to be way better,’ because [for] three quarters, I didn’t play good,” Doncic said. “So I just came in the fourth, got to my spot and led the team to win.”

Doncic, clearly slowed by the sprained knee he suffered in the first round, relied on his signature shot down the stretch, the stepback jumper. He scored 15 of his game-high 33 points in the final period on 5-of-8 shooting from the field. All five of his makes were outside the paint, including four on stepbacks. 

Doncic went on a personal 7-0 run early in the fourth quarter. The first two makes were courtesy of snaking around the defense on a pick-and-roll and hitting stepback jumpers between the charity stripe and the top of the key. He capped the run with a face-up three.

You know Doncic is the king of the stepback by how this one played out. He had an open three off the kickout but instead allowed Anthony Edwards to close out before making a rhythm stepback triple to cut the lead to one. 

Doncic sealed the game with this stepback jumper over Jaden McDaniels. Pure basketball poetry. 

Doncic got his shot going just in time. He was 5-of-7 outside the paint in the fourth quarter after shooting 2-of-10 on that variety in the first three periods. It tied the most makes outside the paint in the fourth quarter of a game in his entire career, regular season or playoffs. 

It was the first time in his career that he made at least five field goals in the fourth quarter, all from outside the paint.

He’s also the third Mavericks player in the last 25 years to make five shots outside the paint in the fourth quarter of a playoff game, along with Dirk Nowitzki in 2014 and Kyrie Irving earlier this month. 

If Doncic is going to lead Dallas to the NBA Finals, it will be through timely…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/luka-doncic-uses-signature-shot-to-help-mavericks-steal-game-1-away-from-wolves-in-western-conference-finals/

Author : Douglas Clawson

Publish date : 2024-05-23 13:43:11

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