Dirk Nowitzki equaled a season-high with 31 points and Michael Finley scored 18 of his 24 in the second half to lead the Dallas Mavericks past the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-112 Saturday night.

Nowitzki, Finley and Steve Nash combined for 14 points in a 19-4 run to start the fourth quarter as Dallas opened a 21-point lead. Minnesota did not close within single digits until the final minute.

Sam Cassell scored a season-high 34 points for the Timberwolves. Kevin Garnett scored 27 points and grabbed 22 rebounds, Gary Trent had a season-high 22 points and Latrell Sprewell added 21.

Dallas led 86-80 after three quarters, then shot 4-of-5 from 3-point range in the 19-4 spurt with Nowitzki making a pair of 3s and capping the run with three free throws.

Nash had 20 points and a season-high 12 assists. Rookie Josh Howard scored all 13 of his points in the first half before leaving in the third quarter with a strained left hamstring.

Finley, Nash and Nowitzki combined to score 25 of Dallas' 30 points in the third quarter. Cassell scored 11 points in a 19-9 run as Minnesota led 73-65, but Dallas scored the next 11 points, capped by a Finley's 3-pointer.

Finley was 2-of-7 in the first half and 7-of-8 in the second.

Cassell scored Minnesota's first eight points in the second quarter as the Wolves took a 38-27 lead, but Dallas rallied for a 56-54 halftime lead.

Notes:@ Antawn Jamison played in his 278th consecutive game, the third-longest streak in the NBA. ... Garnett recorded his 27th double-double of the season, equaling Tim Duncan for the NBA lead. He also had his fourth 20-20 game. ... Nash posted his fifth straight double-double. ... Minnesota had won nine of its previous 10 games. ... Antoine Walker had 12 points and Antawn Jamison had 10.

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