|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME FLOW
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Maybe the Mavericks have it too easy at home.
They've turned into a force on the road.
Dallas extended its franchise-record road winning streak to
seven Wednesday night with a 106-86 victory over the Minnesota
Timberwolves.
|  | | Dirk Nowitzki works the ball to the basket against Minnesota's LaPhonso Ellis. Nowitzki led the Mavs with 28 points. |
Dirk Nowitzki scored 28 points and Michael Finley added 26 as
the Mavs hit 44-of-88 shots and moved into a tie for first place in
the Midwest Division with San Antonio.
Dallas owner Mark Cuban pampers his players with several
locker-room luxuries, but the Mavericks are 14-7 away from Dallas.
Still, Finley insisted his team would rather play at home.
"Nah, you still need some home cooking every once in awhile,"
Finley said.
All five starters for Dallas, which entered fourth in field-goal
percentage, reached double figures in scoring by midway through the
third quarter.
Kevin Garnett had 26 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for
Minnesota, which was the league's sixth-best shooting team going in
but shot a season-worst 37 percent.
"You want to make stops on defense," Garnett said. "We
couldn't make any."
Wolves coach Flip Saunders was impressed with Dallas' shooting.
"They beat you off penetration, and suck you in," Saunders
said. "Then they're sitting in the corner for 3-point shots, and
that's when they hit them."
Finley, guarded primarily by the slower Wally Szczerbiak, hit
from everywhere on the court. He is averaging nearly 30 points in
his last eight games.
"Finley is what makes that team go by far," Garnett said. "He
was making stuff out of bounds and hitting all kinds of shots."
Sam Mitchell, who also had the unenviable task of guarding
Finley, said the Wolves weren't prepared for the Mavericks' sharp
shooting.
"We went hunting for bear tonight with a bow," Mitchell said.
Former Timberwolves forward Christian Laettner, booed each time
his name was announced, scored 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting and
had nine rebounds in 21 minutes.
"Obviously shooting well can take us a long way, but sometimes
the jumpers aren't hitting," Laettner said. "But we've been
winning some games when our jumpers aren't hitting, too."
The Timberwolves haven't. They're 3-13 when shooting worse than
45 percent.
Howard Eisley added 12 points, and Steve Nash had 10 points and
11 assists for the Mavericks.
The Timberwolves opened the second half with a 10-2 run, but
never got closer than seven down in the second half.
Terrell Brandon had 12 points, Szczerbiak 10 and LaPhonso Ellis
10 points and 12 rebounds for Minnesota, which shot 1-for-11 from
3-point range.
Game notes
The Mavericks' starters were all in double figures for the
second straight game, and sixth time this season. ... Minnesota
forward Tom Hammonds visited the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.,
this week to seek more treatment for his aching ankles. Hammonds,
who was put on the injured list Dec. 19 and has played in just six
games this season, has a condition called bilateral synovitis.
|
|
ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Dallas Clubhouse
Minnesota Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 88
Miami 76
Seattle 104
Washington 101
Toronto 110
Detroit 85
Dallas 106
Minnesota 86
Portland 93
Philadelphia 75
LA Clippers 92
Denver 86
Sacramento 108
Cleveland 103
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Kevin Garnett Official Site
|
