Karl-Anthony Towns scored 24 points, D’Angelo Russell added 22, and the Minnesota Timberwolves held on for a 111-105 win over the visiting Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night in Minneapolis.
Jaylen Nowell finished with 16 points off the bench for Minnesota, which has won four games in a row. Malik Beasley contributed 13 points and Jaden McDaniels tallied 12.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 28 points on 10-for-19 shooting for the Mavericks. Dorian Finney-Smith finished with 23 points on 9-for-13 shooting, and Jalen Brunson registered a double-double with 18 points and 11 assists.
The score was tied at 91 with 10 minutes remaining. Minnesota then went on a 12-6 run, capped by a McDaniels 3-pointer, to grab a 103-97 advantage with 4:29 to go.
The Timberwolves preserved the lead the rest of the way, as the closest Dallas got was 105-103 with 1:57 to play. Towns drained a 3-pointer 12 seconds later to extend the lead.
The Mavericks led 88-86 at the end of the third quarter. Dallas trailed by as many as nine points during the period but finished the quarter on an 18-7 run.
Minnesota built a 56-50 lead at the half.
The Timberwolves enjoyed a 13-0 run during the first quarter to transform a 13-9 deficit into a 22-13 lead. McDaniels started the run with a 3-pointer off an assist from Towns, and Russell punctuated it with a 3-pointer off a feed from Naz Reid.
Dallas battled back and eventually regained the lead midway through the second quarter. Brunson hit a pull-up jump shot to make it 35-34 in favor of the Mavericks with 7:41 to go.
The Timberwolves climbed back on top 56-46 with 26 seconds remaining in the half. But after Jarred Vanderbilt and head coach Chris Finch each drew a technical foul, the Mavericks sank four free throws before the break to pull back within six.
Timberwolves players Anthony Edwards and Taurean Prince each missed their second game in a row as they remained in COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
Dallas missed seven players including Luka Doncic (left ankle), Willie Cauley-Stein (personal reasons), Josh Green (health and safety protocols), Reggie Bullock (health and safety protocols), Frank Ntilikina (illness), Eugene Omoruyi (right foot) and Sterling Brown (left foot).
–Field Level Media