Minnesota tops Dallas, sweeps 2-game NBA preseason set in Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid each scored 14 points, and the Minnesota Timberwolves topped the Dallas Mavericks 104-96 on Saturday to complete a two-game sweep of the NBA Abu Dhabi Games.
Anthony Edwards, who missed the first game on Thursday with an ankle issue, scored 13 for Minnesota.
Luka Doncic had 18 points, six assists and five rebounds in 19 minutes for Dallas, which was without Kyrie Irving (left groin), Seth Curry (illness) and Markieff Morris (left ankle).
Jaden Hardy led the Mavericks with 22 points and eight rebounds in a game where the majority of starters didn’t appear in the second half.
Dallas never led in Thursday’s preseason opener; it had the lead only three times on Saturday — 3-0, 6-5 and 13-11. Those stints with the lead were all short-lived, lasting a combined 2:13 and all coming in the game’s opening six minutes.
Other than that, Minnesota — riding the strength of a 27-7 run over a 10-minute stretch of the first half — was up the whole way. Dallas got within two in the fourth, with both teams deep into their benches at that point.
The Mavericks now head to Spain where they’ll play Real Madrid — Doncic’s former team — on Tuesday.
Doncic signed with Real Madrid when he was 13 and went on to become the youngest EuroLeague and EuroLeague Final Four MVP when he led the club to that title as a 19-year-old in 2018.
Minnesota doesn’t play again until Oct. 14 at New York.
WARRIORS 125, LAKERS 108
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jonathan Kuminga had 24 points and Moses Moody had 15 as Golden State beat Los Angeles, which was without LeBron James and Austin Reaves.
James said earlier this week that he would probably play in only half of the Lakers' six preseason contests, while Reaves is being rested following his appearance with Team USA at this summer's FIBA World Cup.
With the Warriors limiting the playing time of stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Kuminga shot 8 for 14 from the field and 4 of 5 from the line, and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
Thompson had 10 points and Curry had 8 in limited first-half action. Veteran Chris Paul, making his Golden State debut after he was acquired in the offseason from Washington, had 6 points. Draymond Green hurt his ankle this week and did not play.
Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell and Max Christie had 15 points each to lead the Lakers, but Davis and Russell played only limited first-half minutes.
It was the first meeting of the teams since the Lakers ousted the Warriors in the second round of last season's playoffs.
The Lakers take on the Brooklyn Nets in Las Vegas on Monday. The Warriors play Friday against the Lakers again in Los Angeles.
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