Wiggins, Towns lead Timberwolves past Mavericks
MINNEAPOLIS -- Andrew Wiggins scored 27 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 18 rebounds and the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled away for a 97-84 win against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.
After hearing his name in trade rumors prior to Thursday's deadline, Ricky Rubio had 13 points, 14 assists, five rebounds and three steals for Minnesota.
The Timberwolves (23-35), who bypassed any trade deadline deals, recorded their third win in four games since the All-Star break and pulled ahead of Dallas (22-35) in the Western Conference.
Seth Curry scored a career-high 31 points for the Mavericks, who were without new acquisition Nerlens Noel on Friday. Noel is expected to make his Dallas debut at home on Saturday against New Orleans. Harrison Barnes added 20 points for the Mavericks, who have lost three in a row.
Dallas used a 12-4 run at the start of the fourth quarter to tie the game 75-75. The Mavericks would never lead, though, and Minnesota answered with a 7-0 run.
Barnes got Dallas within two again, but the Timberwolves closed the game on an 15-4 run.
Wiggins, coming off back-to-back 40-point games, controlled the first quarter with 16 points for Minnesota, while Dallas had six turnovers in the first. The Mavericks entered the game averaging the fewest turnovers in the NBA with 11.6 per game.
Dallas then missed nine of its first 10 shots to start the second quarter as the Wolves built a 13-point lead and Towns got going. Towns was scoreless until hitting a hook shot with 7:39 left in the second period.
Curry was busy keeping the Mavericks close. He had 12 points in the first half and hit two 3-pointers. Yogi Ferrell, who took over the starting point guard spot with Deron Williams being waived on Thursday, was in early foul trouble and Curry had to man the point.
Ferrell had averaged 14.2 points and 4.7 assists in his first 10 games with Dallas. He had just five points and four assists on Friday.
NOTES: Mavericks PG J.J. Barea missed his 14th straight game with a left calf strain. ... Minnesota activated F Adreian Payne, but he was unavailable for the ninth straight game as he deals with thrombocytopenia. ... Timberwolves F Andrew Wiggins scored at least 20 points for the 16th straight game, tying the franchise record set by Kevin Garnett. Garnett accomplished the feat twice. ... Dallas is 8-21 on the road this season. ... Minnesota shot 52.6 percent from the field. The Wolves are 12-3 when shooting at least 50 percent. ... Minnesota travels to Houston to face the Rockets on Saturday.