The Dallas Mavericks, fueled by a 36-point performance from superstar Luka Doncic, defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-103 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals to book a berth in the NBA Finals.
Doncic averaged 32.4 points per game during the series, was named the Western Conference Finals MVP, and used a red-hot start in Game 5 to help the Mavericks jump out to a big early lead and reach the NBA Finals for the third time in franchise history.
Read more: Dallas Mavericks defeat Timberwolves in Game 5 to advance to NBA Finals: 3 game-changing plays
After the game, Doncic was interacted with and stole his beer by a former Mavericks star, forward Michael Finley, who averaged 19.8 points per game in a Mavericks uniform during nine seasons with Dallas.
Luka Doncic and his father, Sasa, after the Dallas Mavericks clinched a berth in the NBA Finals. pic.twitter.com/fbqhft2G6B
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) May 31, 2024
Doncic reacted exactly as he should have — the legendary Maverick stole his beer after the team returned to the Finals. He raised his eyebrows and shrugged, but that’s all he could do when a veteran like Finley does something like that.
But the big question is why Finley stole the beer. The team’s assistant general manager and vice president of player personnel could have done so to monitor what Doncic was putting in his system while the team had nearly a week off before the Finals began. Or maybe Finley realized Doncic was in front of the cameras and didn’t want to send the wrong message.
Still, none of this will matter a week from now, and only the results on the court will matter. The final series of the 2023-24 NBA season between the Mavericks and the Boston Celtics will be highly monumental for whoever wins.
The Mavericks last won a championship 13 years ago, in 2011. The Celtics last won a championship 16 years ago, in 2008. Doncic is a phenom at 25 and has the potential to add yet another major honor to his arsenal.
The Celtics are at the peak of their competitive careers right now, this flag will mean a lot to both teams and it will certainly be a great matchup.
Read more: Boston Celtics beat Dallas Mavericks to become overwhelming favorites to win 2024 NBA Finals
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