After a slow start in which the Minnesota Timberwolves jumped to the 16-3 lead, the Dallas Mavericks came together to handle the worst team in the league quite easily. Behind Kristaps Porzingis’ 29 points and nine rebounds, the Mavericks defeated the Timberwolves 128-108 to move 23-19 this season. Dallas is now 21-2 this season, when it built a double-digit lead.
Here are some numbers to know about the victory:
7: The number of two-digit punctuated Mavericks
After a series of sparkling games, Luka Doncic returned to the stratosphere of a normal human with 15 points, four rebounds and four assists. Fortunately, six other Mavericks took responsibility and Doncic received a complete goal from his teammates. Most notably, Tim Hardaway Jr. (21), Jalen Brunson (16) and Dwight Powell (16; record of the season) combined 53 points. The only player to play 10 minutes or more and score less than 10 points was Maxi Kleber (seven points).
Also 7: The Mavericks made 15 trebles in seven consecutive games
The team’s record is eight, so the Mavericks are knocking on a franchise record. Hardaway accompanied the team with five triplets, and the players agreed to make 10 of the team’s 16 trebles. Dallas lives and dies for the three. Tonight, they live.
15: The number of rebounds the Mavericks overcame the Timberwolves in
Dallas was on all the tables, collecting 14 offensives and dominating the defensive glass. Jalen Brunson (yes, that Jalen), led the way with 11, while Porzingis and Powell grabbed nine and eight, respectively. No Timberwolf had more than five rebounds. Dallas has struggled against the glass at times, but it was nice to see the team beat an inferior opponent.