Nowitzki helps Dallas stop Timberwolves’ streak

Josh Howard added 13 points and 12 boards while Jerry Stackhouse scored 12 for the Mavericks, who have won three of their last four games. Alan Henderson posted 11 points and a game-best 15 rebounds while Erick Dampier had 11 points and 11 boards in the win.

"We knew we had to step it up defensively and the biggest key was our rebounding," said Nowitzki.

Kevin Garnett netted 32 points and grabbed 12 boards for the Timberwolves, who had their five-game winning streak halted. Wally Szczerbiak scored 18 points and Eddie Griffin contributed 14 in the loss.

"They played pretty good basketball and when it works it looks great and when it doesn’t work it looks terrible," said Szczerbiak. "They try and get you in mismatches and throw a lot of crazy lineups up there. They try and make you match up with them and you just got to stay aggressive against them the whole entire game and we didn’t do that tonight."

Minnesota played without guard Latrell Sprewell who served a one-game suspension after his actions in last Saturday’s 107-100 overtime win over the LA Clippers at the Staples Center. Sprewell was suspended without pay after he began a verbal tirade, which included numerous obscenities, toward Clippers’ fans during overtime.

Minnesota led by as many as seven points, at 26-19, in the first quarter, but the Mavericks closed out the period in strong fashion. Dallas used a 9-2 run to end the frame and tie the score at 28-28 after one.

The Mavs led 37-35 early in the second quarter, but then reeled off seven consecutive points to pull ahead by nine. During the burst, Dampier scored four points and Howard added a three-pointer. The Timberwolves did pull within three points moments later, but Dallas carried a 50-46 edge into the locker room.

Henderson scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds while Nowitzki also netted 11 points in the opening half. Szczerbiak paced Minnesota with 13 points in the opening 24 minutes.

In the third quarter, the margin grew as high as 10 points as Nowitzki’s three-point play with around three minutes left in the period staked the Mavericks to a 67-57 cushion. Griffin’s basket in the waning seconds, though, brought Minnesota within 71-64 after 36 minutes.

The margin grew to 11 points early in the fourth quarter and Minnesota never threatened again. Dallas’ edge grew as high as 13 points in the final period.