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The Dallas Mavericks have survived elimination at home Friday night after blowing out the Celtics 122-84.

Luka Doncic put up 29 points while Kyrie Irving finished with 21 points in the 38-point blowout win.

But it was the Dallas bench that came alive as they combined for 54 points.

Tim Hardaway, who has been a non-factor in the series put up 15 points, Derek Lively finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds and Dante Exum finished with 10 points.

For Boston Jayson Tatum scored 15 points, Jrue Holliday with 10 points, and Jaylen Brown with 10 points.

Kristaps Porzingis, the former Maverick did not play.

“It’s real simple. We don’t have to complicate this. This isn’t surgery,” said Mavericks coach Jason Kidd.

“Our group was ready to go. They were ready to celebrate and we made a stand. We were desperate. We’ve got to continue to keep playing that way. They’re trying to close the door. The hardest thing in this league is to close the door when you have a group that has nothing to lose. Tonight, you saw that.”

The Mavericks still have an uphill battle if they want to accomplish something no NBA team has ever done, coming back from being down 3-0.

Dallas defeated Boston by a 38-point deficit, the third largest ever in an NBA Final game.

The Celtics will have a chance to close out the series at home on Monday night in front of the home crowd.

The post Mavericks Survive Elimination in Blowout Win over Celtics appeared first on DeSoto Tribune.

The Edmonton Oilers are headed back to the Stanley Cup finals after defeating the Dallas Stars 2-1 to take Game 6 in the Western Conference Finals.

In front of an electrified crowd displaying immense pride for the home team, the Oilers started hot and never cooled off, scoring their first goal almost six minutes into the first period.

Edmonton’s Connor McDavid scored first with one goal and an assist to help close out the series against Dallas.

On a power play in the first period, McDavid split two Dallas defenders and delivered the puck high up over Oettinger to give the Oilers the early lead.

Zach Hyman also scored on a first-period power play that gave the Oilers a 2-0 lead.

The Stars’ only goal came in the third period on a 2-on-2 matchup.

Mason Marchment gave Dallas its only score, scoring on a wrist shot midway through the third.

Oettinger had 10 saves, while Stuart Skinner stopped 34 shots for the Oilers.

After the game, McDavid breathed a sigh of relief and took it all in.

“When the horn went off, that’s the loudest I ever heard it,” McDavid told Sportsnet amid the on-ice postgame celebration as Edmonton fans chanted “We want the Cup” over and over. “Special place to play, honestly. So much history. And these fans, it was great to hear their support.”

The Oilers head to Florida to take on the Florida Panthers, who lost to the Las Vegas Golden Knights in last year’s Stanley cup Finals.

The post Edmonton Oilers Defeat the Dallas Stars to Reach Stanley Cup Finals appeared first on DeSoto Tribune.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — The Dallas Mavericks cruised into the NBA Finals Thursday night after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-103.

The Mavs’ victory was sealed by stellar performances from Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, who each scored 36 points in the blowout win.

Doncic’s all-around performance was instrumental in the Mavericks’ blowout win.

In addition to his 36 points, he secured a double-double with 10 rebounds while Irving, meanwhile, complemented his scoring with five assists.

Irving was also perfect from the free-throw line.

The Mavericks’ offensive onslaught was on full display at the Target Center in Minnesota as their ball movement and sharp shooting overwhelmed the Timberwolves from the start.

Dallas executed fast breaks and pick-and-rolls to perfection, creating numerous scoring opportunities and maintaining a relentless attack that left Minnesota unable to keep pace.

Doncic set the tone for the rest of the game, starting strong and going 4 for 4 from downtown.

 “He let his teammates know that it’s time and they’ve got to take it up a notch,” coach Jason Kidd said. “He sent the invites out, and they all came.”

With this victory, the Mavericks celebrated their Western Conference Championship and now set their sights on the NBA Finals.

The Mavericks will take on the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals to try and bring back a second championship to Dallas.

It has been 13 years since Dallas won its first NBA championship. Jason Kidd, now head coach of the Mavericks earned Dallas its first championship alongside Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki.

The post Mavericks Blowout Timberwolves | Reach NBA Finals appeared first on DeSoto Tribune.

The Dallas Stars emerged victorious in Edmonton on Monday after defeating the Oilers 5-3 to take a series 2-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals.

Jason Robertson celebrated his first career playoff hat trick after completing the milestone midway through the third period.

Robertson wasn’t alone in the scoring column as Wyatt Johnston and Miro Heiskanen also scored to add to the Stars win.

Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger made 26 saves.

The Oilers got off to a strong start, with goals from Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman, and Adam Henrique, but ultimately fell short against the Star’s relentless offense.

Edmonton struggled to contain Dallas’ offensive firepower.

Dallas reestablished home-ice advantage with the victory against Edmonton and owned the league’s best regular-season road record.

The Stars are now 6-1 in the playoffs on the road.

Dallas returns to Edmonton to try and take game 4 Wednesday night.

The puck drops at 7:30 p.m.

The post Stars Hold 2-1 Lead over Oilers in Western Conference Finals appeared first on The DeSoto Tribune.

The Dallas Mavericks are within one game of reaching the NBA finals after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-107 in game 3.

The American Airlines Center came alive with an electric atmosphere as Mavs fans were decked out in blue Sunday night to cheer on Dallas as they went up three games over Minnesota.

It was a big game for both Mavericks superstars as Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving scored 33 points apiece.

“I feel like we’re both born for this if you ask me, but it’s just basketball, man,” Irving said.

“You got to give the game what it needs at times.”

PJ Washington scored 16 points while Derek Jones Jr added 11 points in Sunday night’s win over the Timberwolves.

Anthony Edwards led the way for the Wolves with 26 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, Mike Conley finished with 16 points, Jalen Mcdaniels scored 15 points, and Karl Anthony Towns finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

In the fourth quarter, the Mavericks took a decisive lead off a tiebreaking 3-pointer from Washington with 3:38 remaining and never looked back.

From there Dallas went on a 14-3 run that had the crowd buzzing with excitement.

The Mavericks can punch their ticket to the NBA Finals on Tuesday night if they win game 4 at home.

The post Mavericks Take Game 3 at Home Against Timberwolves appeared first on The DeSoto Tribune.