MINNEAPOLIS _ There was one player who had no interest in taking a week-plus-long holiday:
Andrew Wiggins.
Wiggins said as much Friday morning.
"I didn't want the break," he said of the time off due to the All Star break. "I was in a rhythm and I was feeling good."
If was worried he might lose that mojo, he need not have worried. Wiggins scored 27 points Friday in a 97-84 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at Target Center.
In doing so Wiggins narrowly missed tracking down former Wolves great Kevin Garnett for the most prolific three-game scoring streak in franchise history. Wiggins, who had 40 and 41 points in the two games leading up to the break, now has 108 in his last three, just short of Garnett's record of 112 set in March of 2000.
Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns struggled at times with turnovers _ he had seven of them _ but he also had 26 points and 18 rebounds. Tyus Jones hit three 3-pointers while scoring 11 off the bench. Point guard Ricky Rubio had 13 points and 14 assists.
Seth Curry led all scorers with 31 points for the Mavs while Harrison Barnes had 20.
The victory _ the Wolves' third in four games _ bumped Minnesota (23-35) past the Mavs (23-34) in the Western Conference standings.
The Wolves led by 15 midway through the third quarter. But that was down to eight entering the fourth. After the Mavs opened the fourth on a 12-4 run, it was a tie game when Devin Harris hit a 3-pointer with 8 minutes left in the game.
But Towns scored in the post, then he fed Jones for a 3-pointer. After a Dallas turnover, Towns scored and the Wolves lead was back to seven midway through the fourth. Minnesota never looked back.
Wiggins didn't show any rust, coming out aggressively, scoring the Wolves' first eight points of the game. In 12 first-quarter minutes, Wiggins made 6 of 10 shots and had 16 of the Wolves' 26 points to go with three rebounds.
The game was tied at 15 when the Wolves went on a 11-2 run _ with Wiggins scoring six of them _ to take a 26-18 lead before Salah Merji got loose for two dunks at the end of the quarter to draw the Mavericks within 26-22 entering the second.
With the Mavericks starting the second quarter shooting 1-for-10, the Wolves built on that lead. Shabazz Muhammad had two fast-break dunks _ one of them an and-one over Nowitzki that got the crowd buzzing _ in a 10-0 run that put the Wolves up 36-24.
Moments later that lead grew to 13 points when Towns scored to put the Wolves up 38-25.
But the Wolves couldn't extend the lead.
Indeed, with Nowitzki and Curry warming up, the Mavericks got within 49-30 on Curry's twisting layup as the first half ended.
Dallas scored the first four points of the third quarter to pull within 49-44 on Curry's basket.
But Rubio had six points and Towns and Wiggins four each in a 12-4 run that put the Wolves up by 15, 63-48 on Rubio's drive.
With the offense stalling, the Mavericks whittled away at the lead, pulling within eight twice late in the quarter, with Curry's basket making it 71-63 Wolves entering the fourth, giving Curry 13 third-quarter points.
