Dallas, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Kevin Love poured in 35 points, including the game-winner with 17.1 seconds left in overtime to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 123-122 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.
The Timberwolves blew a 22-point second quarter lead and the game went to overtime tied at 113-113.
Love hit three free throws after a Vince Carter foul from beyond the arc to tie the game at 120-120. Carter fouled out on the play and Love would head back to the line on the next possession, converting 1-of-2 from the line to give the Timberwolves a 121-120 lead with under two minutes to go.
Dirk Nowitzki, guarded by Love, drove the lane and hit a contested fadeaway turnaround to push the hosts in front by one with 33.9 seconds left.
Love answered at the other end with a tough floater after being harassed by Shawn Marion and Devin Harris on the near sideline with 17.1 ticks remaining. Love lost his dribble, pivoted off his right foot turning around a couple of times before splitting the defenders and floating it in.
Nowitzki had a chance to give Dallas the win, but much like his previous shot, Love was in his jersey and contested the fadeaway from the top of the key, which clanked off the back iron and time expired.
"They (Mavs) were executing, so we just had to play our best game as well as we could," said Love. "We will take the win, whether it is in regulation or overtime."
Ricky Rubio recorded his third career triple-double with 22 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds to help the Timberwolves to their second straight win.
Kevin Martin tallied 19 points in the win, while J.J. Barea and Corey Brewer deposited 15 and 13 points, respectively.
Nowitzki paced Dallas with 27 points despite shooting 11-of-27 from the field -- including 0-for-7 from beyond the arc -- and Monta Ellis added 22 in the setback.
The Mavericks had their three-game overall win streak snapped along with their three-game home win streak and dropped percentage points behind Memphis into the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.
Minnesota led 37-24 after the first quarter and built its lead to as many as 22 early in the second after a Gorgui Dieng hookshot.
"Playing a first quarter like that on your home court in a game this meaningful is a bad sign for us right now," said Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle.
Nowitzki hit the first two shots of a 24-5 run that got the Mavericks back in to the contest. Minnesota would go back up by 10, but a 3-pointer from Carter trimmed the deficit to seven at the break.
Minnesota took a 94-87 lead into the fourth.
The Timberwolves led 109-97 when Ellis scored the final nine points of a 13-1 surge to tie the game at 110-110 with 2:47 to play in regulation.
After Love split two free throws to give Minnesota a one-point advantage, Ellis another 3 to give the Mavs their first lead since early in the first quarter.
Rubio was then fouled driving the lane with 50.1 seconds to go and he hit the subsequent free throws to tie the game back up at 113-113.
Nowitzki missed a high-arching 3 at the other end and the Timberwolves had two cracks at the lead, but Martin and Robbie Hummel each were off the mark from deep as the game headed to overtime.
Game Notes
Minnesota's Nikola Pekovic missed his second straight with a sore ankle ... Dieng contributed a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double starting in place of Pekovic ... Marion finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds, Carter had 14 points and Harris added 13 points in the setback ... Ellis finished 4-of-6 from 3-point range ... Dallas owned a 51-46 edge on the glass ... Minnesota scored 29 points off of 16 Dallas turnovers.
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