Not all of Luka Doncic’s shots at the rim went in.

It just seemed that way.

The Dallas Mavericks’ All-NBA guard unleashed Luka Magic from deep, the paint, and mid-range.

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ disappearing act is complete.

Doncic scored 20 of his 36 points in the first quarter, and the Mavericks defeated the Timberwolves 124-103 in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on Thursday, advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011 (their third overall) and the first time in Doncic’s career. They will face the Boston Celtics for the title.

Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks are heading to the NBA Finals.

The Mavericks utilised a 17-1 run to lead 35-19 after one quarter, 46-23 with 8:52 remaining in the second quarter, and 69-40 at halftime against the league’s greatest regular-season defence, led by Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.

Doncic scored 10 of the Mavericks’ first 12 points, 12 of the first 16, 14 of the first 24, and 20 of the first 30. He went 8 for 10 from the field and 4 for 5 on three-pointers. Doncic had his offence going, and Minnesota was powerless. Then it is hopeless.

Kyrie Irving, a Mavs guard, tied Doncic for the team lead with 36 points. Doncic added 10 rebounds and five assists, while Irving contributed four rebounds and five assists.

The Mavericks-Celtics series begins on June 6 with Game 1 in Boston. The Mavs are only the second No. 5 seed to make the Finals (Miami in the 2020 bubble being the other), and they are vying for the franchise’s second crown after winning the championship in 2011.

Boston is aiming for its 18th championship, breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most titles in NBA history. The Celtics last won the title in 2008.

The Celtics won both games against Dallas this season, but one before the trade deadline and the other after the trade deadline — not against the starting group that has propelled Dallas to contender status.

The Mavericks are 27-6 with Doncic, Irving, Derrick Jones Jr., Daniel Gafford, and P.J. Washington in the starting lineup, the last two of whom were acquired before the Feb. 8 trade deadline.

The Mavericks were one of the league’s top teams in the final two months of the season, and they continued that momentum into the playoffs, defeating the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Minnesota. The Thunder had the best record in the West, while the Timberwolves had just one less victory than OKC.

After the trade deadline, Dallas had the league’s third-best record at 21-9, and they were 16-2 with Doncic, Irving, Washington, Gafford, and Jones in the rotation, including 15-1 as starters. The Mavs finished the season with the No. 7 offence and No. 6 defence, up from 12th and 22nd, respectively, before the trade deadline.

The Timberwolves’ inexperience at this round of the playoffs contributed to the short series. Minnesota guard Anthony Edwards, 22, is a rising talent who had a strong postseason. There are several reasons why the Timberwolves and their fans should be excited.

However, Edwards and his teammates struggled to match Dallas’ execution. The Timberwolves, who outperformed Denver in the West playoffs, were outperformed by the Mavericks. Minnesota lost the first three games by a total 13 points, then won Game 4 before being demolished in Game 5. The Timberwolves dropped all three home games in the series.

On Thursday, the Timberwolves shot 42.7% from the field and 31.3% on threes. Edwards recorded 28 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 28 points and 12 rebounds.

Minnesota will be a factor next season, and like the other good young teams in the league who fell short of the Finals (Oklahoma City, Indiana), the Timberwolves will try to apply their hard lessons to the next season.