Timberwolves top Wizards

Kevin Garnett had 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists and Richie Frahm hit key shots in the fourth quarter to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 109-98 victory over the Washington Wizards last night in Minneapolis.

Wally Szczerbiak scored 17 points and Frahm and Troy Hudson added 16 each. Six Timberwolves players scored in double figures as Minnesota snapped a two-game losing streak.

Gilbert Arenas had 33 points and Caron Butler added 15 for Washington, which has lost two straight. The Wizards had five players in double figures.

After building a 15-point lead, Minnesota let Washington back in the game in the third quarter. But, two hustle plays and Frahm's shooting, restored the Wolves' double-digit lead midway through the fourth.

With the Wolves hanging on to an 86-83 lead, Szczerbiak dove for a loose ball and passed ahead to Frahm for a dunk. Then, after Hudson took a charge, Frahm hit a 3-pointer to make it 93-83 with 6:07 left.

Spurs 86, Rockets 80 -- Tim Duncan had 19 points and nine rebounds and host San Antonio held off a late surge to beat Houston.

Tony Parker scored 17 points for the Spurs and Robert Horry added 16 -- including a key 3-pointer late in the game. Manu Ginobili had 15 points and four steals. San Antonio dominated inside, scoring 52 points in the paint.

Tracy McGrady led Houston with a game-high 27 points and 12 rebounds, but was held to 0-for-7 shooting in the first half. Yao Ming had 19 points, but just 1 in the second half.

Mavericks 87, Hawks 78 -- Josh Howard had 25 points and five blocked shots and Dirk Nowitzki added 20 points and 13 rebounds, helping host Dallas extend Atlanta's season-opening losing streak to eight games.

Keith Van Horn added 14 points for the Mavericks, who improved to 3-0 at home and 6-2 overall.

Zaza Pachulia led the Hawks with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Atlanta and the Toronto Raptors are the league's only winless teams -- both at 0-8.