The Dallas Mavericks are advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011. They defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the Western Conference Finals to clinch their berth. A major reason they are moving on is the performance of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

The star backcourt duo has been great all postseason but took their game to another level against the No. 1 ranked defense in the NBA. In the elimination game on Thursday night, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving both scored 36 points.

It was Doncic who got the team off to a hot start. He scored 20 points in the first quarter, outsourcing the Timberwolves by himself. As if he needed more motivation, a fan sitting courtside seemed to light a fire underneath him.

From that point on, it was Kyrie Irving’s turn to torment Minnesota. He scored 15 points in the second quarter alone, helping the Mavericks build a 29-point lead at halftime. The dynamic duo outscored the Timberwolves on their own 44-40, responsible for 57 out of the team’s 69 first half points when taking into account their assists.

It was a historic performance by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, who had one of the most dominant performances by a duo in NBA Playoff history. The last time teammates scored 35+ points in a Conference Finals game was Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in 2001.

This is the fourth time this postseason that Doncic and Irving scored 30+ points in the same game. The only duo who have accomplished that more times in NBA Playoff history are Elgin Baylor and Jerry West with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Mavericks stars are the only duo, along with Baylor and West, to accomplish the feat at least three times in a single series. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving will be looking to repeat that feat in the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.

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