PREVIEW

TIMBERWOLVES (16-39) AT MAVS (34-23)

Time: 7:30 p.m. CT

Place: American Airlines Center, Dallas

TV: FSSW

Radio: ESPN 103.3 FM; Univision 1270 AM (Spanish)

About the Mavs: This is the only game on this home stand before the Mavs open a four-game road trip Wednesday in San Antonio. The road trip continues with games in Miami (Friday), Minnesota (Sunday) and Chicago (Mar. 2) before the Mavs return home to host rookie Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans (Mar. 4). . .Luka Doncic (right ankle soreness), Kristaps Porzingis (injury recovery) and Willie Cauley-Stein (personal reasons) all missed Saturday’s 111-107 loss in Atlanta. And Jalen Brunson only played the opening 10 seconds against the Hawks before he suffered a right shoulder sprain that ended his night. . .Doncic is listed as probable for tonight’s game, Porzingis will play tonight, Brunson will miss tonight’s game and Cauley-Stein is questionable due to personal reasons. . .Doncic and Porzingis have joined a very exclusive club. In the last two games they’ve played, the Mavs’ dynamic duo joined Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler (1995), and LeBron James and Kevin Love (2017) as the only teammates to individually produce at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in consecutive games. In the Mavs’ final game before the All-Star break on Feb. 12, Doncic had 33 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in the 130-111 win over Sacramento, and Porzingis added 27 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. And in the Mavs’ first game after the All-Star break last Friday in Orlando, Doncic collected 33 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in the 122-106 victory, and Porzingis finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. . .The Mavs are 15-14 at home and are third in the NBA in scoring at 116.4 ppg. . .Tim Hardaway Jr. is coming off a 33-point outing on 11-of-22 shooting against Atlanta. . .J. J. Barea is tied with Michael Finley for fifth place on the Mavs’ all-time list for games played with 626.

About the Timberwolves: To say that the Timberwolves have struggled mightily this season is one of the understatements of the season. After losing Sunday at Denver, 128-116, Minnesota has lost 17 of its last 18 games. The Timberwolves started impressively against the Nuggets, scoring 38 points in the first quarter. But on defense they allowed Denver to score 43 points in the first quarter. . . Ironically, the lone victory during Minnesota’s recent struggles was a 142-115 blowout win on Feb. 8 when the Timberwolves drilled a Los Angeles Clippers’ team many experts have picked to capture this season’s NBA championship. . .Minnesota’s bench outscored its Denver counterparts, 54-40. That includes a career-high 21 points from Kelan Martin, 14 from Jarrett Culver and 13 from James Johnson. . .The Timberwolves’ best player, Karl-Anthony Towns, is out at least two weeks with a hairline fracture in his left wrist. Towns is averaging 26.5 ppg and 10.8 rpg. . .Three newly-acquired players have had a major impact for the Timberwolves. Malik Beasley has averaged 23.3 ppg and 6.0 rpg in four games with Minnesota, D’Angelo Russell is averaging 22 ppg and 9.7 apg in three games, and Juan Hernangomez has played four games for Minnesota and averaged 15.5 ppg and 5.8 rpg. . .Coach Ryan Saunders said he anticipates Russell, who did not play against the Nuggets so he could get some rest, to play in tonight’s game. . .Minnesota has lost its last eight road games and have the third-worst record in the entire NBA. . .The Timberwolves are 51-69 all-time against the Mavs, including a 25-36 record during games played in Dallas. . .The last six games between the Mavs and Timberwolves have all been decided by seven points or less. That includes a Dec. 4 meeting between the two squads in Dallas that the Mavs won, 121-114.

 Twitter: @DwainPrice

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