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Timberwolves get 1st win, drop Mavs to 1-4

Jan 2, 2012 - 3:17 AM Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Kevin Love recorded a double-double with 25 points and 17 rebounds and the Minnesota Timberwolves scored the game's final 15 points to take down the Dallas Mavericks, 99-82, on Sunday.

Ricky Rubio scored 14 points and dished out seven assists and Anthony Tolliver added 13 points and six rebounds for the Timberwolves, who registered their first win of the season after three losses.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points for the reigning NBA-champion Mavericks, who dropped to 1-4 two days after picking up their first win of the season against Toronto.

"It's very difficult to play from behind in this league and you know it's become too much of an inconsistency and we've got to correct it," Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle said.

Trailing 84-72 with 8:26 left in the final quarter, Dallas used a 10-0 run to pull within two, 84-82, with 5:35 to go. Nowitzki scored the final seven points of the run.

But the Timberwolves scored the last 15 points of the game, hitting four three-pointers during the stretch. Love -- who made 5-of-6 from three-point range -- and Tolliver each hit a pair with Rubio assisting on three of them.

The highlight came when Rubio set up Tolliver for a three-pointer by passing it between the legs of Nowitzki. Tolliver nailed the trey, giving Minnesota a 98-82 lead with 2:02 to play.

"I thought I saw it go through his legs, eventually he told me it did. That was a big play for us because we had to turn that corner at the end of the game," Love said.

Darko Milicic led all scorers with seven points in the first quarter as the game was tied 25-25 after the opening stanza.

Dallas shot just 26 percent and 0-of-7 from three-point range in the second quarter as Minnesota took a 50-41 lead into the locker room.

Lamar Odom nailed a three-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer to pull Dallas within 74-69 heading into the final quarter.

Game Notes

The Timberwolves finished 10-of-22 from three-point range...Dallas shot 38 percent from the field...Vince Carter scored just six points on 1-of-7 shooting for Dallas.