Towns, Timberwolves beat Mavs
MINNEAPOLIS » Karl-Anthony Towns had 31 points and 12 rebounds, Andrew Wiggins added 23 points on 9-for-14 shooting and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the floundering Dallas Mavericks 112-99 on Saturday night for their first four-game winning streak in nearly five years.
Holding Mavericks star Harrison Barnes scoreless in the second half, the Wolves enjoyed a blowout for once after the margin of their previous five victories totaled just 17 points. The last time they won four games in a row was Dec. 7-15, 2012, when Towns was just a junior in high school.
Coming off a career-low two points Wednesday at New Orleans, when foul trouble against bulwarks DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis limited him to 22 minutes, Towns responded like the Timberwolves needed him to and thought he would. He had seven points and two rebounds during a 13-0 run late in the third quarter that pushed their lead to 25 points. GRIZZLIES 113, CLIPPERS 104» Mike Conley scored 22 points and Memphis made 13 3-pointers and dominated off the bench to beat Los Angeles.
Marc Gasol added 21 points and Tyreke Evans had 20 to top four reserves in double figures. The Memphis backups outscored the Los Angeles reserves 55-22. PELICANS 96, BULLS 90» Anthony Davis had 27 points and 16 rebounds to lead New Orleans past Chicago.
DeMarcus Cousins added 25 points and 11 rebounds — 18 and seven after halftime — to help the Pelicans snap a six-game, regular-season losing streak to the Bulls.
Chester’s Jameer Nelson added 13 points for New Orleans.