Mavericks at Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves look for their third consecutive victory over Dallas this season when they host the Mavericks on Monday. Minnesota posted two November wins over Dallas and can move above .500 with another victory in the latest engagement – which would also be its third straight overall. The Mavericks are just 6-9 on the road but recorded an impressive 105-83 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday to open a three-game trip.
Dallas guard Monta Ellis is frustrated over the club’s road woes and said that has to change for the Mavericks to be a bona fide threat in the playoffs. “For us to go for our goal, I think we have to get more road wins,” Ellis said after the win over the Bulls. “We know we can play good at home because we have our home crowd behind us. But we have to come out with an edge, like we did (against Chicago), when we go on the road.” The Timberwolves have posted back-to-back 22-point victories – at home against Washington and on the road at Milwaukee.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Dallas), FSN North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (17-13): Veteran guard Vince Carter has scored 14 or more points in six of the past seven games after struggling most of the season. Carter had 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting against Chicago to follow up a 20-point outing against San Antonio two nights earlier. “I have to keep playing and stay aggressive,” Carter said. “I just made a commitment to myself that I was going to continue to play, keep being aggressive and do whatever I could for my team. I’m back in a groove.”
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (15-15): Power forward Kevin Love had 33 points and 15 rebounds in Saturday’s rout of Milwaukee to continue his torrid play. Love has scored 25 or more points in 10 straight games – the longest such streak in the NBA all season – and has strung together six consecutive double-doubles to raise his season output in that category to a league-leading 27. “He’s really an intelligent player,” Minnesota coach Rick Adelman said. “He sees the floor, and so I think he’s just gotten his teammates much better and he’s playing much better as a team defender.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Timberwolves have won six of the past nine meetings.
2. Minnesota C Nikola Pekovic is averaging 24.6 points and 11.4 rebounds over the last five games and has posted double-doubles in each of the last four contests.
3. Mavericks F Shawn Marion had 14 points and 13 rebounds against Chicago for his sixth double-double of the campaign after scoring 10 or fewer points in four of the previous five games.