The Dallas Mavericks are heading to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011 after beating the Minnesota Timberwolves last night, 124-103.

Why it matters: Winning is fun.

• Making it to the championship series is the payoff for team leadership adding versatile players around superstar Luka Dončić.

The latest: The Mavericks led the Wolves by nearly 30 points for much of Game 5.

• Dončić and Kyrie Irving scored 36 points each.
• Dereck Lively II was back in action after missing Game 4 because of a neck injury. He scored nine points and grabbed eight rebounds off the bench.

The intrigue: Coach Jason Kidd was a member of the championship Mavericks team. Irving scored the Cleveland Cavaliers' championship-winning three-pointer in 2016.

• Many of the young Mavs players haven't experienced the playoffs before, and now they'll get to compete in the finals.
• "They believe in each other," Kidd said of Irving, Dončić and the rest of the team.

Flashback: Dallas has only been to the NBA Finals twice, winning once in 2011. It was payback against the Miami Heat, who won the championship during the Mavs' first finals visit in 2006.

• The Mavs last played in the Western Conference Finals in 2022 and lost to the Golden State Warriors, who went on to win the championship.

What they're saying: "We're a great team. It's not just about me and Luka," Irving said after last night's win.

State of play: The Mavs will face the Boston Celtics, who swept the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

• The NBA Finals will be a battle of the road warriors.
• The Celtics haven't lost an away game during the playoffs this year. The Mavs have lost just two.

What's next: Game 1 will be Thursday in Boston.

Mavs stats

The Mavs aren't quite the best NBA road team, but they're close — especially after last night.

• The Stars have the best road record in the NHL this season. And, the Rangers had an 11-game winning streak on the road last season, ending with their World Series win.

Why it matters: We, the fans, are starting to feel a little bad watching our teams struggle to win in front of us.

State of cheer: The Rangers have their ring, largely because of road wins.

• The Mavs and Stars have generally been more clutch on the road, even though the AAC has been packed with cheering Dallas fans.

Context: The Stars dropped their first two playoff games at home before shocking the Vegas Golden Knights there.

• The Stars bested the NHL's top home team, the Colorado Avalanche, in Denver.

Meanwhile: The Mavs have the second-best road record during the playoffs, behind the, ahem, Boston Celtics.

Yes, but: The Dallas Cowboys were terrible on the road last season. At least Jerry can boast about home wins.

The bottom line: Do Dallas sports fans … suck? Or, do our Dallas sports heroes relish being hated on the road?

📬 Tell us. Hit reply to this email and let us know what you think. Should we be better sports fans?

• If your response makes us giggle, we'll send you some Axios Dallas swag. We know you're our fans.

Fort Worth residents' home buying power has decreased the most out of major Texas cities in the past 50 years, per an Axios analysis of a RealtyHop study.

Why it matters: Housing inventory is finally starting to increase in Dallas-Fort Worth after years of minimal buying options.

State of play: In February 2022, there were slightly more than 4,000 active listings in the metro. In April of this year, there were about 18,500 listings, per Realtor.com data compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

Yes, but: Homes are still drastically more expensive than before the pandemic, with a 44% increase in the Dallas area.

Case in point: The average sales price for a D-FW house rose 3% from April 2023 to this year, reaching $505,446.

• The median home price rose 1.5% year-over-year to $405,000, per the latest report from the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University

Context: Home buying power is the ratio of annual income versus the average house price in 1970 (when boomers started buying starter homes) compared to 2022.

• Home buying power in Fort Worth decreased 58% from 1970 to 2022, per the Axios analysis.
• In Dallas, home buying power dropped almost 56%.

The bottom line: Younger generations are spending a larger portion of their income on housing, whether buying or renting.

$11,100 Fort Worth homes

⚖️ The Tarrant County jail chief deputy has retired amid complaints about deaths in the jail. (DMN)

🌧 A Dallas city employee was pulled from fast-moving waters yesterday while making repairs at a park near White Rock Creek. (WFAA)

🍺 Deep Ellum Brewing is closing its taproom and brewhouse but said its beer will still be available throughout Texas. (Eater)

If you're celebrating something, dress up and head to this floral-themed Plano restaurant with delicious food and pretty cocktails.

Pro tip: Bloom Lounge tends to be busy, so make a reservation. And, skip the athleisure — people dress nice here.

• Hosts in the check-in area typically chat with guests while they wait for a table.

What to order: Smokey Lychee Flower — mezcal, lychee liqueur and agave.

Where: The Bloom Lounge, 6145 Windhaven Parkway in Plano.

Cost: $16

Six-word review: Hibiscus salt rim tempers sweet taste.

📭 Know a drink we should try? Hit reply and tell us.