Powell, Brunson Score Season Highs As Mavericks Top Wolves 121-114
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — The Dallas Mavericks showed Wednesday night they are much more than Luka Doncic.
Dwight Powell scored 24 points on 9-for-9 shooting from the field, Jalen Brunson ignited a fourth-quarter rally with 14 of his 16 points in the period and the Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 121-114.
Powell and Brunson both had season highs as the Mavericks won for the ninth time in 10 games.
Going into the second night of a back-to-back, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said, "Depth is going to be our calling card if we're going to be good." Then his team went out and proved his point on a night when Doncic struggled with 8-for-22 shooting and was assessed a technical foul in the third quarter.
With five reserves on the floor to start the fourth quarter, Dallas was 7-of-9 on 3s after hitting only four of its first 27. Brunson made two, including the one that put Dallas ahead to stay at 94-93 with 7 minutes to play.
"A little opportunity. A little bit of preparation. I just felt it going," Brunson said.
Maxi Kleber made two 3s and Justin Jackson another before Doncic came back into the game and made his only 3 off an assist from Brunson to put the Mavs up 106-98. Doncic, whose frustrations with the officiating boiled over when he was given a technical foul by referee David Guthrie with 2:26 left in the third quarter, looked skyward as if to show relief when the shot swished through.
Doncic finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists – all below his season averages. It was the first time since Oct. 29 – a stretch of 17 games – when someone other than the 20-year-old standout led Dallas in scoring.
"We have amazing players on this team," Doncic said. "Anybody can do anything."
Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins had 26 points apiece for the Timberwolves, and Robert Covington added 22.
"I think we played solid through three quarters," Wiggins said. "But in the fourth quarter, we let them get too comfortable."
After back-to-back games these last two nights, the Mavericks will continue their homestand Saturday afternoon against the New Orleans Pelicans.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)