By james art 
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kyrie Irving scored 16 of his 35 points in the third quarter, Luka Doncic had a late surge to finish with 24 points, nine assists and eight rebounds and the Dallas Mavericks held off the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-114 on Tuesday in the first a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Finals.
Anthony Edwards scored 24 of his 37 points in the first quarter to set a scoring center record, going 7 for 13 from 3-point range. He also went just 6 for 12 from the free throw line.
Doncic put his stamp on the game with a 33-footer with 1:04 left to extend the lead to eight points, barking at fans as he returned to the bench after a timeout. It was his only success in eight attempts from behind the arc.
PJ Washington added 17 points and eight rebounds for the Mavericks, who made it back-to-back nights after beating Utah 110-102 at home on Monday. Doncic went 5-for-22 from the floor and 1-for-9 from 3-point range for 15 points against the Jazz.
Julius Randle had 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Timberwolves.
Food to take home
Mavericks: With Doncic in a bit of a slump, the Mavericks not only got a superstar performance from Irving, the other half of their frontcourt duo, they were especially active on defense with 12 steals.
Timberwolves: Edwards’ breathtaking first quarter gave way to some sloppy stretches. Minnesota committed 20 turnovers that led to 25 points for Dallas.
Key point
Irving went 6 for 8 from 3-point range, including a dunk with 2:31 left, and Randle kept it tight at the top of the key as the Timberwolves pulled within 109-107.
Key statistics
Edwards has five plus threes in all four games this season, the longest streak in team history.
Next up
The Mavericks host Houston on Thursday night and the Timberwolves host Denver on Friday.
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