DALLAS.- Jalen Brunson scored 26 points, Dorian Finney-Smith came to life in the second half and the Dallas Mavericks, with the clean and jerk of two newly signed players, defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-102 on Tuesday in a battle of attrition.
Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with 26 points and 14 rebounds. Malik Beasley had 22, D’Angelo Russell added 14 with 12 assists and Jaden McDaniels scored 11.
A total of nine players, including three starters, missed the game due to it being within NBA health and safety protocol.
Brunson scored 16 points in the first half. Finney-Smith had only four at halftime, but added 15 in the second half, including two 3-pointers in a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter that wiped out Minnesota’s last lead in the game.
Dwight Powell added 15 points, Boban Marjanovich added 10 and Sterling Brown combined with 12 points and 11 rebounds in his first starting game of the season.
The Mavericks got a boost from two recently signed players after falling just two days ago at Minnesota. Theo Pinson played 22 minutes, scored seven points, had four rebounds, dished out three assists and had four steals.
In his 16 minutes, Marquese Chriss scored six points, including a fierce dunk in the 10-0 run, and dropped eight rebounds.
HEAT 125
PACERS 96
MIAMI.- Tyler Herro scored 26 points in his return after a three-game absence due to a blow to the thigh, and the Miami Heat beat the Indiana Pacers 125-96 on Tuesday night.
Duncan Robinson tied his career best, also with 26 points, and Miami reached a franchise record, hitting 22 3-pointers. It’s the fourth time the Heat have achieved that number.
Max Strus added 18 points, KZ Okpala added 16 and Kyle Lowry finished with eight points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists for Miami. Omer Yurtseven added 13 rebounds for the Heat.
Chris Duarte and Caris LeVert each scored 17 points for Indiana. Oshae Brissett added 14 points and Domantas Sabonis finished with 12.
Indiana lost Malcolm Brogdon in the first half due to recurring pain in his right Achilles tendon. He totaled one point and two assists in eight minutes.
SUNS 108
LAKERS 90
LOS ANGELES.- Devin Booker continued his recovery after a hamstring injury that left him playing games off the court and scored 24 points with nine rebounds and seven assists in the Phoenix Suns’ 108-90 victory over the Lakers on Tuesday. of the Angels.
Booker played 32 minutes and made 8 of 16 shots from the field, having played 26 minutes in his return Sunday in an overwhelming victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
Deandre Ayton had 19 points and 11 rebounds and Mikal Bridges had 14 in the Suns’ fourth straight win, who improved to 2-2 on the road after an 18-game streak that ended on December 3.
LeBron James scored 34 points for the Lakers, who lost in their third straight game to coach Frank Vogel bypassed by safety protocols for the second night. Four Lakers players are also isolated by coronavirus protocols, including starter Avery Bradley.
OTHER RESULTS
KNICKS 105, PISTONS 91
PELICANS 111, TRAIL BLAZERS 97
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