Timberwolves Surge as Mavericks Tumble

After an exhausting climb, the Minnesota Timberwolves are tied at the top of the Midwest Division.

Kevin Garnett had 35 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds for his first triple-double of the season, helping Minnesota hold off Dallas, 114-109, at Minneapolis on Thursday night for its fourth consecutive victory.

“It’s a dogfight in this division -- we’re just trying to scratch and claw our way through it,” said Sam Cassell, who added 26 points for the Timberwolves.

Gary Trent had a season-high 18 points and 12 rebounds for Minnesota (16-9), which won its second in a row at home after losing five of its first nine there.

“A lot of guys played well, but the biggest surprise was Gary,” Minnesota Coach Flip Saunders said. “It was the best game he had this year.”

The Timberwolves, who wasted a 13-point lead in a 92-88 loss at Dallas on Nov. 29, improved to 4-4 against Western Conference teams and pulled even with Denver in the Midwest. San Antonio is percentage points behind them. All seven Midwest teams are within three games of one another.

Steve Nash, who finished with 27 points, and Antawn Jamison, who had 22, accounted for all but four of the Mavericks’ fourth-quarter points. Antoine Walker, coming off a seven-point game Wednesday in his Boston homecoming, had only eight against Dallas on four-for-10 shooting.

The Mavericks dropped to 3-9 on the road after falling at Boston, 105-103, on Wednesday night, and each of their last three losses are by five points or fewer.

“As long as a team plays up to its potential, I have no complaint about wins or losses,” Dallas Coach Don Nelson said. “This was one of those games.”

Down by nine in the first quarter, the Timberwolves used a 14-0 run to take a 26-21 lead that they didn’t relinquish until Nash made a three-pointer that put the Mavericks back in front, 99-98, with 5:07 left.

Garnett, however, then made back-to-back baskets and Minnesota pulled away.

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Sacramento 101, New Orleans 90 -- Brad Miller had 21 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists at New Orleans as the Kings sent the Hornets to their third consecutive double-digit loss during the team’s worst losing steak of the season.

Sacramento put on a virtual clinic, getting numerous easy baskets off baseline and backdoor cuts, as well as 20 points on the fastbreak.

The Kings also shot 55.2% and scored 22 points from the free-throw line compared to nine points for the Hornets. The Hornets shot 40%, but made only 36% of their shots through the first three periods, after which the Kings led, 75-61.

The Kings built leads as big as 25 and led, 87-67, after a Bobby Jackson fadeaway midway through the fourth quarter The Hornets suffered through one five-minute stretch in the opening period without a basket while the Kings scored 13 consecutive points for a 27-14 lead.

Baron Davis led New Orleans with 23 points.

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Portland 101, Phoenix 94 -- Zach Randolph had 29 points and 20 rebounds at Portland, Ore., as the Trail Blazers prevailed while making nine of 10 free throws in the final minute.

Shawn Marion had 20 points for the Suns, who lost their sixth consecutive road game after leading by as many as six points in the second half.

Portland shot 49.4% from the field and 88% from the line. The Trail Blazers also outrebounded Phoenix, 47-32.

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Former NBA center Alonzo Mourning, who retired less than a month ago because of a kidney disease, will receive a kidney from an unidentified family member during today’s transplant at a New York hospital, agent Jeff Wechsler said.

Mourning, 33, retired Nov. 24 from the New Jersey Nets because of complications from focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. He was diagnosed before the 2000-2001 season when he was with the Miami Heat.