Mavs heat up from long range to topple Timberwolves
Red-hot shooting from 3-point range in the fourth quarter powered the Dallas Mavericks to their ninth win in the last 10 games as they outpaced the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves 121-114 on Wednesday.
After shooting just 4-for-26 from deep in the first three quarters, Dallas warmed up in the fourth quarter. Four Mavericks hit 3-pointers in succession over a critical stretch, going from trailing by two points to leading by 10.
Dwight Powell buoyed Dallas before the late-game push, scoring 24 points. Minnesota defended second-year sensation Luka Doncic well for most of the night, forcing him into five turnovers.
But with a made 3-pointer and three free throws after drawing a foul behind the arc, Doncic scored a chunk of his 22 points at a crucial juncture.
Doncic air-balled another long-range attempt in the final two minutes, but Kristaps Porzingis caught the miss and put down a dunk that slammed the door on Minnesota's rally attempt. Porzingis finished with 19 points.
Jalen Brunson gave Dallas a spark off the bench with a career-high 16 points. His 3-pointer was the first in the Mavericks' four-bucket deluge. Dallas also got 12 points off the bench from Maxi Kleber.
The production from the reserves made a key difference for Dallas. The Mavericks' bench outscored Minnesota's 39-22.
Minnesota stormed back from a double-digit deficit in the first quarter and were led throughout the middle quarters by Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, who finished with 26 points each. Towns flirted with a triple-double, adding nine rebounds and eight assists. Wiggins blocked three shots.
Robert Covington added 22 points for the Timberwolves. Rookie Jarrett Culver joined them in double-figure scoring with 11 points. He also grabbed eight rebounds and dished six assists, matching Doncic and Minnesota teammate Jeff Teague in the latter category.
The loss marked the Timberwolves' first defeat on the road in almost a month. They had won four straight away from home since dropping a Nov. 6 decision at the Memphis Grizzlies.
--Field Level Media
