NBA playoffs 2024 - Luka Doncic's touchdown passes are driving the Mavericks' series lead against the Wolves - ESPN

LUKA DONCIC SURVEYS the court after receiving the inbounds pass from near his own baseline, quickly locking eyes with his speedy Dallas co-star.

Just over two minutes remain in the second quarter of the NBA's Western Conference finals opener, and an easy score by Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns has just pushed their lead to seven points. But Doncic senses some fatigue in Wolves guard Anthony Edwards, who is coming off a Game 7 comeback win two days prior — and who is assigned to cover Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving along the right sideline.

With the defense scanned, Doncic and Irving instantly exchange a nonverbal message.

Go.

Starting from just beyond the Wolves bench, Irving accelerates to a full sprint by half court to gain a step on Edwards. Meanwhile, on the TNT broadcast, the camera barely cuts away from Towns' bucket before Doncic lofts his long-distance dime over the top of the defense.

Done without a dribble, and entirely from inside his own 3-point line, Doncic's pass hits Irving in stride on the opposite end of the floor, leading him into a layup over Wolves forward Kyle Anderson.

Doncic's elite playmaking helped secure Game 1 and has put Dallas one win from the NBA Finals. Meanwhile, his «touchdown passes» have been key to the Mavs' offense transforming into a nightly threat on the break.

The stout 6-foot-7 Doncic, known better for picking apart defenses with plodding ball dominance, has fully embraced coach Jason Kidd's preseason mission to become an up-tempo team. As a result, the Mavericks turned one of last season's slowest-paced offenses into the seventh quickest in the NBA this season.

And no one in the league throws a touchdown pass quite like Luka.

«That's something he likes to