Doncic lifts Mavericks with go-ahead 3 with 3 seconds left to top Wolves 109-108 for 2-0 lead

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Luka Doncic hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with Rudy Gobert guarding him at the top of the key with 3 seconds left, posting his fifth triple-double of the playoffs to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 109-108 victory and a 2-0 lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals on Friday night.

Doncic had 32 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his eighth triple-double in 42 career postseason games for the Mavericks, who erased an 18-point deficit that stood late in the second quarter and were still down 16 midway through the third.

Naz Reid went 7 for 9 from 3-point range for 23 points, but his last try at the buzzer rimmed in and out to send the Wolves to Dallas for Game 3 on Sunday in a big hole after another off night by stars Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Kyrie Irving had 13 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, including a corner 3-pointer with 1:05 left that pulled the Mavericks within two. Then the Wolves sandwiched turnovers around a short miss by Doncic. Edwards recklessly threw the ball out of bounds off a drive with 13 seconds left, giving the Mavericks the ball with the chance to win.

Doncic took the inbounds pass and dribbled to set up a screen by Dereck Lively II that triggered a switch by the Wolves, with NBA All-Defensive second team pick Jaden McDaniels dropping with Lively’s roll and Defensive Player of the Year Gobert staying out on the top of the key.

After the swish, Doncic flexed his arms and yelled at the stunned crowd as his teammates swarmed him.

The lead for either side was three points or less from 10:50 remaining to 1:29 until Edwards — who had 21 points but is shooting 11 for 33 in the series — sank two free throws for a 108-103 edge. That came right after Irving missed both foul shots that had the crowd howling in honor of the promotion that awards a free Chick-fil-A sandwich.

Mike Conley scored 18 points and Gobert had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Wolves, who needed Reid — the NBA Sixth Man of the Year — more than ever. His top-of-the-key swish at the end of the third quarter gave the Wolves an 86-79 cushion just after the Mavericks closed the gap hard with a 21-7 spurt — mostly while Conley rested — over a 6:36 stretch.

Irving, who scored only five points in the first half after he had 24 of his 30 in Game 1 before halftime, gave the Mavericks their first lead since 7-6 with a 3-pointer to cap an 8-0 run that started the fourth quarter and made it 87-86.

Doncic, who flourished in the fourth quarter of Game 1 to finish with 33 points, has been fighting through what the Mavericks have listed on the league’s official injury report as a sprained right knee and left ankle soreness.

When he was subbed out late in the first quarter, Doncic jogged straight to the locker room before returning to the bench prior to his next shift. After running the floor for a fast-break layup late in the second quarter, Doncic was laboring and limping on the way back. He shot 5 for 14 before halftime.

The beauty of the 25-year-old Slovenian superstar’s game is that he hardly needs a full-strength spring in his step to dominate. He had Minnesota’s league-leading defense looking out of sorts on so many possessions with his laser-like passing.

The Wolves were blistered by the coaching staff for their effort and execution between games, and they stayed true to their form as a strong bounce-back team from the few times they’ve fallen flat this season. Conley had the offense running crisply and craftily whenever he was initiating.

When he wasn’t, though, the Wolves often got out of hand. Edwards forced a lot of shots and didn’t appear to have much of a plan when he had the ball. McDaniels, who had 20-plus points in each of the last three games, didn’t make a basket until midway through the third quarter.

Towns and Gobert were especially aggressive on offense early after the Wolves got eaten up in the paint, but they were still vulnerable on defense underneath as Mavericks had their way with the persistent lobs to Daniel Gafford (16 points) and Lively (14 points).

Towns had 15 points on 4-for-16 shooting and gave way to Reid down the stretch.

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Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) shoots against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of Game 2 of the NBA basketball Western Conference finals, Friday, May 24, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley (10) shoots over Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) during the second half of Game 2 of the NBA basketball Western Conference finals, Friday, May 24, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) celebrates after making a 3-point shot against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half of Game 2 of the NBA basketball Western Conference finals, Friday, May 24, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert (27) and Karl-Anthony Towns (32) celebrate after a play against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half of Game 2 of the NBA basketball Western Conference finals, Friday, May 24, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) shoots against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half of Game 2 of the NBA basketball Western Conference finals, Friday, May 24, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) drives against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) during the first half of Game 2 of the NBA basketball Western Conference finals, Friday, May 24, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) drives against Dallas Mavericks forward Derrick Jones Jr. (55) during the second half of Game 2 of the NBA basketball Western Conference finals, Friday, May 24, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) celebrates after making a 3-point shot to take the lead against the Minnesota Timberwolves with seconds left during the second half of Game 2 of the NBA basketball Western Conference finals, Friday, May 24, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign is spending $50 million through the end of June, a blitz that includes its first television ad trumpeting Donald Trump’s felony conviction and signals that the Democratic incumbent is seeking to make his Republican opponent’s legal woes a bigger issue heading into November.

The advertising push comes with Election Day still more than five months away. But Biden's campaign says it wants to more clearly define the choice between the candidates ahead of the first debate between them in Atlanta on June 27.

The ad campaign includes more than $1 million geared toward media reaching Black, Hispanic and Asian American voters and a spot highlighting Trump's conviction on 34 felony counts in a New York hush money case. It will air on general market television and connected TV on streaming devices and cellphones in battleground states as well as on national cable.

Besides Trump's criminal conviction, the ad, titled “Character Matters,” notes the former president also was found liable for sexual assault and financial fraud in separate proceedings. Trump also faces felony charges in three other criminal cases, none of which may go to trial before the November election.

“This election is between a convicted criminal who's only out for himself and a president who's fighting for your family,” intones the ad's narrator over images of a Trump mug shot and Biden high-fiving supporters.

Biden also has frequently talked about Trump’s 34 felony convictions while decrying the former president for claiming that the case against him was politically motivated. Biden argues that “it’s reckless, it’s dangerous, it’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict.”

Biden's son Hunter last week was convicted in Delaware of three felony charges related to the purchase of a revolver in 2018, when, prosecutors argued, he lied on a mandatory gun purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. The president has said he would accept the outcome of the case and “continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.”

A central part of Biden’s reelection strategy is also highlighting Trump’s policy proposals for a second term and firing up disaffected Democrats and independent voters. Still, the campaign producing an ad that leans heavily into Trump's conviction and including it in such a large advertising buy indicates a renewed effort to make Trump’s legal problems an election issue in ways Biden’s team previously resisted.

"It’s a stark contrast, and it’s one that matters deeply to the American people,” Biden campaign spokesman Michael Taylor said in a statement. “And it’s why we will make sure that every single day we are reminding voters about how Joe Biden is fighting for them, while Donald Trump runs a campaign focused on one man and one man only: himself.”

Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has argued, without evidence, that Biden or Justice Department officials orchestrated the New York case against him for political reasons. He and his allies also have raised the prospect of prosecuting political opponents in revenge if he returns to the White House.

Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that the Biden administration had “weaponized the justice system against President Trump" and that the contrast between her candidate and Biden "will be very clear on the debate stage.”

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at 180 Church, Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

From left, Maisy Biden, Naomi Biden, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk to depart on Air Force One from Los Angeles International Airport, Sunday, June 16, 2024, in Los Angeles. Biden is returning to Washington after a campaign event. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Joe Biden is seated during a campaign event with former President Barack Obama moderated by Jimmy Kimmel at the Peacock Theater, Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)