DALLAS, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Chauncey Billups scored a team-record 24 of his career-high 36 points in the third quarter and Wally Szczerbiak scored 13 of his 31 in the fourth as the Minnesota Timberwolves overcame the absence of Kevin Garnett and posted a 117-100 road victory Tuesday night over the Dallas Mavericks.
The All-Star forward missed the game in order to attend his grandfather's funeral in South Carolina on Tuesday.
After Shawn Bradley scored on a dunk to cut Minnesota's lead to 84-83 with 8:35 remaining, Szczerbiak hit a 3-pointer to start a 21-6 run. Billups bookended the burst with a free throw after Dallas coach Don Nelson picked up his second techincal for arguing with the officials with 2:49 left.
Dallas led early in the third quarter, 58-46, but Billups scored 11 consecutive points, including three straight 3-pointers, in 71 seconds. After Szczerbiak gave Minnesota the lead for good 77-76 on a 3-pointer with 56 seconds left in the quarter,
Billups made a layup and another 3-pointer before the period ended.
Billups broke James Robinson's team record of 23 points set in the fourth quarter of a game at Cleveland on Dec. 30, 1996. Dallas had just 20 points in the quarter.
It was just Minnesota's second win in its last eight games against Dallas and snapped a three-game road losing streak against the Mavericks.
Steve Nash led Dallas with 24 points. Dirk Nowitzki pulled down 12 rebounds but shot just 2-of-10 and finished with nine points.
With the win, the Timberwolves moved within a half-game of the Mavericks atop the Midwest Division.
