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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – The Minnesota Timberwolves remembered
their history against the Charlotte Hornets. This time they did
something about it.
|  | | Kevin Garnett had 22 points and 13 rebounds, as well as a burning desire to win for once in Charlotte. |
Losers of four straight to the Hornets and winless in 11
previous games in Charlotte, the Timberwolves finally broke the
streak with a 95-89 victory for their first win over the Hornets
since 1997.
"Someone mentioned to us how long it had been during the
morning shootaround and I think it stuck in everyone's mind for the
rest of the day," said Kevin Garnett, who led the Timberwolves
with 22 points and 13 rebounds.
"As a franchise, we haven't always done well and we allowed
them to create a record that we are not proud of. But we are a team
making strides, trying to erase some of that, and tonight we took
another step in doing that."
Minnesota improved to 8-16 overall against Charlotte and 1-11 in
The Coliseum. In doing so, the Timberwolves snapped Charlotte's
seven-game winning streak while winning their fourth-consecutive
game.
"We don't feel like this team is better than us," said
Chauncey Billups. "It was kind of personal because we lost so many
to them and we just didn't feel like they were better than us."
It was a hard-fought victory, though. Minnesota blew a 21-point
second-half lead and let Charl
otte cut the score to 90-87 with 1:01
to play.
But LaPhonso Ellis hit a jumper with 37 seconds to play and
Minnesota stopped Baron Davis on a driving layup at the other end.
Billups got the rebound, was fouled and made one of two free throws
to put Minnesota up 93-87.
Jamaal Magloire hit a hook shot with 10 seconds left to cut it
to 93-89, but the Hornets had to foul on the next possession and
Terrell Brandon hit both free throws to seal the win.
"You know a home team is going to make a run, especially one
that has won seven straight," said Minnesota coach Flip Saunders.
"But we felt like we had the ability to win if we could get to the
free throw line. We got tough when we had to so we could get to the
line."
Wally Szczerbiak had 16 points for Minnesota and Brandon added
13. Billups finished with 13 points and hit three of his four
3-pointers in the fourth quarter.
"Billups was the key with the 3-pointers," said Charlotte
coach Paul Silas. "That broke our back. They hit big shots at the
end and deserved to win."
David Wesley led the Hornets with 21 points. Davis added 17
points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds. Jamal Mashburn had 16 points on
5-of-15 shooting.
The Timberwolves, who built a 14-point halftime lead behind 60
percent shooting, stretched their lead to 57-36 with 10:03 to play
in the third.
Charlotte slowly started to chip away and cut it to 66-60 behind
3-pointers from Wesley, Davis and Mashburn. Wesley added another
one at the end of the quarter to keep Minnesota's lead at six.
Minnesota pushed its lead to 75-66 on Garnett's jumper with
10:14 to play, but the Hornets answered with a 6-0 run to cut the
Timberwolves' lead to 75-72. They never got closer than three
points the rest of the way.
"It was just too big a hole to dig ourselves out of," Silas
said. "When you get down like that, you have to play perfect
basketball to have a chance to catch up and win. We didn't."
Game notes
There were no flare-ups between Magloire, Charlotte's
center, and Szczerbiak, Minnesota's forward. The rivalry, which
dates back to when the two faced each other in the 1999 NCAA
tournament, erupted in a December meeting when the two had to be
separated as they walked through the tunnel after the game. ...
Garnett has scored 15 or more points against the Hornets nine
straight times.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Minnesota Clubhouse
Charlotte Clubhouse
RECAPS
Minnesota 95
Charlotte 89
New York 97
Indiana 83
Chicago 87
Cleveland 74
Phoenix 93
Denver 82
Sacramento 98
Toronto 91
Vancouver 105
Portland 97
San Antonio 101
Seattle 73
LA Lakers 97
Golden State 85
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