LaMelo Ball scored 22 points and delivered nine assists as the Minnesota Timberwolves routed the Dallas Mavericks 133-94 on Thursday night at the Target Center.
The victory extended Minnesota’s winning streak to five games and improved their record to 9-3, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. Bones Hyland contributed 24 points off the bench, leading six Timberwolves players in double figures.
Minnesota built a 67-52 halftime lead before outscoring Dallas 36-17 in the third quarter. The Timberwolves led by as many as 44 points in the second half, securing their most lopsided victory of the season, the Associated Press reported.
Ayo Dosunmu added 18 points for Minnesota, while Jaden McDaniels scored 16 and Jonathan Kuminga posted 14 points and eight rebounds. The Timberwolves shot 61 percent in the first half and dominated inside with 74 points in the paint and 50 total rebounds.
Zaccharie Risacher led the Mavericks with 22 points off the bench as their three-game winning streak ended. Cooper Flagg was held to 12 points, and Kyrie Irving had just 10 for Dallas, which shot 37 percent from the field.
The Timberwolves continue their eight-game homestand by hosting the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, while the Mavericks travel to face the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Minnesota played without Anthony Edwards, who was sidelined due to a knee issue that resulted in arthroscopic surgery, alongside Donte DiVincenzo, who was out with an Achilles injury. The team has adjusted its approach to maintain its position as a Western Conference stalwart during Edwards’ absence.
Dallas entered the matchup following a 125-122 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday. In that previous game, Cooper Flagg had posted 43 points and 10 rebounds, while Kyrie Irving added 35 points.
During Thursday’s contest, the Mavericks briefly held a 24-19 advantage late in the first quarter before Minnesota responded with a 15-2 run punctuated by a buzzer-beating triple from Jaylen Clark. Although Dallas trimmed the deficit to a single point in the second quarter, the hosts quickly regained a double-digit margin.
The second half opened with a 17-4 surge from the Timberwolves, highlighted by an alley-oop pass from Ball to Rudy Gobert that pushed the advantage to 84-56.