Dallas Mavericks fall to Timberwolves: Will face Clippers in first round of playoffs

The Dallas Mavericks lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves 136-121 in the final game of the 2020-2021 regular season on May 16. It was far from their best performance as the Mavs took the opportunity to give their key players, including Luka Doncic, a light workload as they head into the playoffs.

The Mavs won 12 of their final 16 games to avoid the play-in tournament. The races in the Western Conference went down to the final day with nearly every game making a difference in the late slate. LA fell to the Thunder to lock them into fourth and clinch a first-round playoff matchup against the Mavericks.

It was not his best performance, but Luka showed he is ready for the playoff in his limited run on Sunday night. Let us take a closer look at his performance before taking a closer look at what is ahead for the Mavericks.

Dallas Mavericks fall to Timberwolves: Will face Clippers in first round of playoffs

Doncic had his passing on display in the first quarter. He made a fancy find to Dwight Powell for an alley-oop in the early going.

Luka connected with Kristaps Porzingis in the second quarter. See the beautiful play below.

It was fantastic to see the Mavericks two stars making finding each other. There has been plenty of talk about their relationship this season, but both men looking healthy and ready for the postseason.

Luka Doncic finished with 18 points, six rebounds, six assists, and two steals in 21 minutes of action. He was six of 13 from the field and four of five on his free throws. The 22-year-old superstar is ready for the playoffs.

All 30 NBA teams played on Sunday and plenty of races went down to the wire. The Dallas Mavericks are the fifth seed in the Western Conference and locked in to face the LA Clippers in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year. Check back to The Smoking Cuban for plenty more on the upcoming matchup.