On the night the Timberwolves waved goodbye to their starting point guard, they reintroduced themselves to defense, and it made all the difference in their 107-92 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night at Target Center.

The Wolves learned before the game that guard Terrell Brandon would be out for the rest of the season after another injury to his left knee. But with Chauncey Billups again filling Brandon's role, they came out aggressively and, for a change, didn't simply try to outscore the Suns.

Flexing their zone defense more than they had in weeks, the Wolves (34-16) added a wrinkle to it: They used Kevin Garnett at the top, and his height and reach made it difficult for Suns guard Stephon Marbury and teammates to operate their offensive efficiently. Marbury got 11 assists to only three turnovers, but the Suns had 16 as a team, leading to 23 points for the Wolves.