NBA Game Recap - Minnesota at Dallas
Wed Dec 4, 2019 8:30 PM EST

GS
91
CHA
106
F
PHO
114
ORL
128
F
MIL
127
DET
103
F
MIA
93
BOS
112
F
BKN
130
ATL
118
F
IND
107
OKC
100
F
MEM
99
CHI
106
F
MIN
114
DAL
121
F
LAL
121
UTA
96
F
SAC
116
POR
127
F

Dallas 121, Minnesota 114

Dec 4, 2019, 8:30 PM EST

Final

1

2

3

4

T

Minnesota

25

31

28

30

114

Dallas

30

23

27

41

121

Powell, Brunson hit season highs, Mavs top Wolves 121-114
Thu Dec 5, 2019 2:41 AM

DALLAS (AP) The Dallas Mavericks showed Wednesday night they are much more than Luka Doncic.

Dwight Powell scored 24 points on 9-for-9 shooting from the field, Jalen Brunson ignited a fourth-quarter rally with 14 of his 16 points in the period and the Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 121-114.

Powell and Brunson both had season highs as the Mavericks won for the ninth time in 10 games.

Going into the second night of a back-to-back, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said, "Depth is going to be our calling card if we're going to be good." Then his team went out and proved his point on a night when Doncic struggled with 8-for-22 shooting and was assessed a technical foul in the third quarter.

With five reserves on the floor to start the fourth quarter, Dallas was 7-of-9 on 3s after hitting only four of its first 27. Brunson made two, including the one that put Dallas ahead to stay at 94-93 with 7 minutes to play.

"A little opportunity. A little bit of preparation. I just felt it going," Brunson said.

Maxi Kleber made two 3s and Justin Jackson another before Doncic came back into the game and made his only 3 off an assist from Brunson to put the Mavs up 106-98. Doncic, whose frustrations with the officiating boiled over when he was given a technical foul by referee David Guthrie with 2:26 left in the third quarter, looked skyward as if to show relief when the shot swished through.

Doncic finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists - all below his season averages. It was the first time since Oct. 29 - a stretch of 17 games - when someone other than the 20-year-old standout led Dallas in scoring.

"We have amazing players on this team," Doncic said. "Anybody can do anything."

Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins had 26 points apiece for the Timberwolves, and Robert Covington added 22.

"I think we played solid through three quarters," Wiggins said. "But in the fourth quarter, we let them get too comfortable."

TIP-INS

Timberwolves: Forward Jake Layman remains out with a sprained big toe on his left foot. Coach Ryan Saunders said Layman was not with the team as it begins a four-game trip and didn't have a timetable for his return.

Mavericks: Powell's 14 first-half points were a career high in a half for the sixth-year center and he finished just two short of his career high after leaving the game midway through the fourth quarter with a wrist injury.

LUKA'S STREAK

Calling this a below-average game for Doncic only emphasizes the impressive numbers he's put up in his second year. He is currently riding a streak of 17 consecutive games with at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists. That tied Russell Westbrook's streak as the second-longest since the ABA-NBA merger (1976-77). Only Michael Jordan (18 games in 1988-89) has a longer streak.

"When he's on the bench, he's up, cheering on his teammates with the best of them," Carlisle said of Doncic. "He was really into the game when our second unit got it going in the fourth."

ROAD WARRIORS

Minnesota had won four in a row on the road and was 7-2 away from Target Center entering Wednesday. The Wolves will need more road magic with this contest starting a stretch of eight road games in 11 days, all against Western Conference teams.

"We've got to find consistency playing for 48 (minutes)," Towns said.

POWELL BRUISED

Powell finished just two short of a career high in points when he had to leave the game with 4:47 left in the fourth when he injured his left arm in a collision with Wiggins and his own teammate Kristaps Porzingis. He was diagnosed with an arm contusion and X-rays were negative.

"It was just a really awkward play," Powell said. "I felt like my arm got stuck in a revolving door. It didn't feel good but thankfully it's not broken."

UP NEXT

Timberwolves: At Oklahoma City on Friday night.

Mavericks: Host New Orleans on Saturday afternoon.

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Leaders

Minnesota PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
K. Towns 26 7 7 9 1 1
A. Wiggins 26 -8 1 5 0 3
Dallas PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
D. Powell 24 -1 4 5 1 2
L. Doncic 22 -16 6 7 0 0

Team Comparison

MIN DAL
Points For 114 121
Field Goals 37/89-42% 46/92-50%
Three Pointers 17/38-45% 11/37-30%
Free Throws 23/26-88% 18/23-78%
Offensive Rebounds 15 13
Defensive Rebounds 29 32
Rebounds 52 54
Blocks 7 5
Steals 5 5
Turnovers 12 8
Points Scored Off Turnovers 9 23
Points in the Paint 36 52
Fast Break Points 11 12
Personal Fouls 21 16
Technical Fouls 0 1
Flagrant Fouls 0 0
Ejections 0 0

2019-20 Reg Season - DAL Leads Series 1-0

Date Result Away Pts Ldr Home Pts Ldr
Wed Dec 4 MIN 114 @ DAL 121 K. Towns 26 D. Powell 24

Game Information

Stadium: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Attendance: 19,671
Game Time: 2:12