LDN - Sports

Timberwolves 123, Mavericks 122 (OT)

[March 20, 2014] DALLAS — Timberwolves 123, Mavericks 122 (OT): Kevin Love put 35 points and Ricky Rubio recorded his third career triple-double as visiting Minnesota knocked off Dallas after squandering a 22-point lead.

Rubio tallied 22 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who won for the fourth time in their last five trips to Dallas. Kevin Martin scored 19 points and J.J. Barea added 15 against his former team as Minnesota moved within 5 1/2 games of Dallas and Memphis for the last two playoff spots in the Western Conference.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 27 points but missed a fallaway jumper just before the buzzer for the Mavericks, who have split the first two games of a franchise-record eight-game homestand. Monta Ellis added 22 points and Shawn Marion collected 16 points and 11 rebounds for Dallas.

Robbie Hummel hit back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the fourth period to push Minnesota's lead to 107-94, but Ellis scored 12 straight Dallas points as the Mavericks charged back to briefly take a 113-111 lead and force overtime. Dallas led by five early in the extra period before Love led the Timberwolves back, scoring his team's final six points including the go-ahead bucket with 17.1 seconds left.

The Timberwolves shot 69.8 percent in the first quarter to build a 37-24 lead and scored the first nine points of the second quarter to extend the lead to 22. Dallas used a 24-5 run in the second to get back in it, holding Minnesota to just one field goal in a span of just over six minutes.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Minnesota's 34 wins are its most since going 44-38 in the 2004-05 season. … Nowitzki was just 11-of-27 from the floor and missed all seven of his 3-point attempts. … Timberwolves rookie C Gorgui Dieng started in place of Nikola Pekovic (ankle) and recorded his second straight double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.


*< Sports index*	*Back to top*