MINNEAPOLIS — The last time Dallas star Luka Doncic was on the Target Center floor he was hounded and harassed, relatively ineffective and incensed.
Pretty much in that order.
The last time was Monday, in the Timberwolves' 10-point win, one in which neither Doncic nor Mavs coach Jason Kidd were around to see the end, as both were ejected.
This time Doncic's numbers were better. He scored 25 points, had 10 assists and nine rebounds. More so than Monday, his teammates were able to hit the open shots created by the Wolves double-teaming Doncic.
Especially late.
Down three early in the fourth quarter, the Mavericks — up to that point 8 for 33 from long range — hit five straight 3-pointers in a 15-4 run to go up eight. Tim Hardaway Jr. hit the first two, Reggie Bullock the last two. Dallas never trailed again, winning 104-99.
The Wolves followed much of the same plan they used Monday: playing up on Doncic on the ball, and doubling him on the pick and roll to get the ball out of his hands. For a while, it worked.
Until it didn't.
The Wolves lost despite a 23-point game from Anthony Edwards and a 19-point, 15-rebound game from Rudy Gobert in his return from an ankle injury. Austin Rivers also scored 19.
Hardaway scored 20 for the Mavericks and Spencer Dinwiddie had 19.
Minnesota (16-16) had a three-game winning streak snapped. Dallas (16-16) won for the first time in three games.
Doncic had 16 points, six assists and four rebounds at halftime. But the Wolves held a 52-51 lead thanks to Gobert (12 points, 10 boards), Rivers (12 points) and Edwards (eight points, four assists). Down two, the Mavs opened the second quarter on an 11-2 run to take a 40-33 lead on Dinwiddie's 14-footer with 7:04 left in the half.
But the Wolves regained the lead on Rivers' 3-pointer with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half and held onto it into the half. Rivers scored 10 of the Wolves' 21 points in the quarter.
The Wolves led by four with 2 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter before Doncic had two assists to Dwight Powell and two points in a 9-4 run to put Dallas up 75-74 entering the fourth.
