Russell scores game-high 29, but Wolves fall to Mavs 139-123

DALLAS — Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 23 points and Luka Doncic had 20 as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 139-123 Monday night.

The Mavericks never trailed and were able to rest most of their starters in the fourth quarter after scoring 81 points before halftime, their biggest half of the season. Hardaway, Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis did not play in the final period.

The reeling Timberwolves, playing without star big man Karl-Anthony Towns, lost their fifth in a row and 18th in 19 games.

Dallas shot 56% in the first half and went 12 of 23 from 3-point range en route to an 81-65 halftime lead.

The Wolves got no closer than nine in the second half, and while the Mavs hit only one 3 in the third quarter, they still led by 14 entering the fourth.

Dallas then opened the final quarter on an 11-3 run, with Seth Curry hitting two 3s and J.J. Barea another to help put the game away. Curry finished with 19 points as seven Mavs scored in double figures.

D’Angelo Russell led Minnesota with 29 points and Malik Beasley had 21. The Timberwolves have lost nine straight on the road.

Towns missed his third straight game with a broken left wrist.

Barea played in his 627th game for the Mavericks, passing Michael Finley for fifth all-time behind Dirk Nowitzki, Brad Davis, Derek Harper and Rolando Blackman.

Barea gave the team an immediate lift upon entering late in the first quarter, making a driving reverse layup followed by a 3 to give Dallas its first double-digit lead at 37-27.

The Mavericks extended it to 20 in the second quarter and only Beasley’s 14 points plus 11 from Russell kept Minnesota in the game.

TIP-INS

Timberwolves: Of the 11 Minnesota players who took the court in the teams’ last meeting on Dec. 4, only two – Josh Okogie and Jarrett Culver – dressed for the Wolves on Monday night. Towns is injured and the other eight are no longer with the team. “We have in a sense nine new players in the last little bit here,” coach Ryan Saunders said. “We’re trying to speed up the process with these guys, learn each other.” … Jake Layman played his first game since Nov. 18, having missed the last 40 with a left toe sprain.

Mavericks: G Jalen Brunson sat out and will miss at least the next four games with a right shoulder sprain. Coach Rick Carlisle said Brunson will travel on the team’s upcoming four-game road trip while rehabbing. … Carlisle did not discuss the team’s appeal filed after its loss to the Hawks, saying: “We’ll hear something when we hear something.”

UP NEXT

Timberwolves: At Miami on Wednesday.

Mavericks: At San Antonio on Wednesday.