The Dallas Mavericks relied on their two most notable superstars for a game one win on the road. Point guard Luka Doncic of Ljubljana, Slovenia had 33 points and shooting guard Kyrie Irving of Melbourne, Australia had 30 points as the Mavericks defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 108-105.
It was quite the day for Doncic, as he was also named to the NBA’s First All-Star Team. In the three-point win on the road at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Doncic made 12 of 26 field goals, six of seven free throws, and three of 10 three-point shots. He also had eight assists, six rebounds, three steals and one blocked shot. Irving, meanwhile, made 12 of 23 field goals, all six free throw attempts, and had five rebounds, four assists and one blocked shot.
If the Mavericks are going to advance to the 2024 NBA Finals, they will need better overall production from Doncic, however, especially on the defensive end. In game one he was a -9 and had a game-high four turnovers.
Two more Mavericks reached double figures in points. Power forward P.J. Washington of Louisville, Kentucky, who was traded to the Mavericks from the Charlotte Hornets at the trade deadline, had 13 points, and power forward Daniel Gafford of El Dorado, Arkansas had 10 points. Like Washington, Gafford joined the Mavericks midseason, as he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks from the Washington Wizards for center Richaun Holmes of Lockport, Illinois and a first round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft on February 8. Game two is in Minnesota on Friday, before the series shifts to Dallas on Sunday.
