MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kyrie Irving scored 16 of his 35 points in the third quarter, Luka Doncic had a late surge to finish with 24 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and the Dallas Mavericks held off the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-114 on Tuesday in return for. in the first rematch of last season’s Western Conference finals.

Anthony Edwards had 24 of his 37 points in the first quarter to set a Target Center record, going 7 for 13 from 3-point range. He also went just 6 for 12 from the free throw line.

Doncic put his stamp on the game with a 33-footer with 1:04 to go, extending the lead to eight points, barking at the fans as he skipped back to the bench after a timeout. That was his only goal in eight attempts from behind the arc.

PJ Washington added 17 points and eight rebounds for the Mavericks, who played back-to-back nights after beating Utah 110-102 at home on Monday. Doncic went 5 for 22 from the floor and 1 for 9 from 3-point range for 15 points against the Jazz.

Julius Randle had 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Timberwolves.

Takeaways

Mavericks: With Doncic in a mini slump, the Mavericks not only got a superstar performance from Irving, the other half of their leading duo, they were especially active on defense with 12 steals.

Timberwolves: Edwards’ breathtaking first quarter gave way to some sloppy stretches. Minnesota had 20 turnovers, which led to 25 points for Dallas.

Key moment

Irving went 6 for 8 from three-point range, including a swish with 2:31 left and Randle guarded him tight at the top of the key after the Timberwolves pulled within 109-107.

Key stat

Edwards has five-plus three-pointers in all four games this season, the longest streak in team history.

Next

The Mavericks host Houston on Thursday night and the Timberwolves against Denver on Friday evening.

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