Field Level Media
Feb 24, 2020
Luka Doncic scored 10 of his 20 points in a 41-point, first-quarter explosion Monday night that propelled the host Dallas Mavericks to a 139-123 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Despite playing just 25 minutes, Doncic also found time for a game-high-tying nine rebounds and seven assists, while Tim Hardaway Jr. scored a team-leading 23 points for the Mavericks. Dallas rebounded from a 111-107 loss at the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, a game in which Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis did not play.
D'Angelo Russell led all scorers with 29 points for the Timberwolves, who lost their ninth straight on the road and 18th in their last 19 games overall.
Dallas wasted little time taking command over Minnesota, which was playing the second night of a back-to-back. Nine players scored in the 41-point first quarter that produced a 14-point lead.
The Mavericks went on to lead by as many as 22 in the second quarter and 81-65 at halftime before coasting to an easy win in their only home date in a seven-game stretch. The lead topped out at 27 late in the fourth.
Seth Curry scored 19 points, Delon Wright had 16 and Porzingis had 15 to go with nine rebounds. J.J. Barea scored 12 points with a game-high eight assists, and Maxi Kleber scored 11 for the Mavericks, who shot 50.5 percent.
Fifteen of Curry's 19 points came on 5-for-9 accuracy from 3-point range.
The 139-point total was Dallas' fourth highest of the season. The Mavericks' season high came in a 143-101 romp over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 22.
Minnesota's Russell, who rested during Sunday's 128-116 loss at the Denver Nuggets, shot 10-for-20 from the field and also accumulated a team-high five assists.
Malik Beasley added 21 points, James Johnson 19, Jarrett Culver 13 and Kelan Martin 11, with Culver and Martin tying with a team-high six rebounds. The Timberwolves once again were without standout center Karl-Anthony Towns, sidelined by a fractured left wrist.
The 139 points allowed equaled the Timberwolves' second most of the season. They were beaten 142-125 by the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 8.
--Field Level Media