Luka Doncic delivers when it matters in Minnesota to send Dallas 2-0 up

Luka Doncic hit a 3-pointer with three seconds of Game 2 remaining to snatch a crucial win for the Dallas Mavericks in Minnesota.

As the game approached its finale, it seemed as the Timberwolves had done enough to get over the line with a 108-106 win. Yet Doncic , the five-time NBA All-Star had other ideas - sinking a step back jumpshot from 24 feet to silence the Target Center.

Heading into Game 2, the Timberwolves couldn't afford another home loss. The Mavericks enjoyed a three-point win in their first meeting at Target Center and knew another victory on Friday would set them in good stead ahead of the series moving to Texas.

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Dallas' biggest threat, as ever, was Doncic - with 32 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds. Kyrie Irving had a slow game by his standards, contributing just 20 points. But in the context of the game, some of those 20 points were massive for the visitors.

Irving got the better of Anthony Edwards, Minnesota's star guard, during Game 1. Yet the former NBA champion was a lot quieter during the first three quarters of Game 2, making just three buckets. It seemed as if the Timberwolves had his number.

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But with the game in the balance, Irving turned up. He hit a 3-pointer from 24 feet at the start of the fourth quarter before doing the same from 28 feet seconds later. He then made it a hat-trick with just over eight minutes remaining, this time from 28 feet.

Despite Irving's late show, Minnesota was still finding the net with ease to keep in front. The hosts boasted a five-point advantage with just over a minute remaining on the clock, but that's when Irving delivered his fourth 3-pointer of the quarter.

Doncic set Irving up for his final hurrah of the game before scoring the game-winning bucket. The Slovenian superstar reacted to his match winner by shouting in Rudy Gobert's direction - the man who was guarding him in the game-defining moment.

Doncic was asked in his post-game press conference when he made the decision to go for a 3-pointer at the death. "I don't really know, I can't answer that," came his reply. "I just saw some space and decided to shoot a 3. I get to my spot, step back - that's it."

The Mavericks star was also asked what he shouted at Gobert, with some suggestion there were some choice words. Doncic replied: "I didn't say that, I was speaking Slovenian."