March 2002 Minnesota Timberwolves Wiretap

Wolves sent packing

Jan 31, 2002 10:42 AM

Wally Szczerbiak punched in 31 points for the Timberwolves last night, but the 76ers were able to break that code, battling to a 96-91 victory and again climbing over .500 (23-22).

The Sixers, with four victories in their last five games and eight in their last 10, also seemed to take another step toward relocating the code that helped drive them to 56 victories and the NBA Finals last season.

"We've got to see that fight guys had in their eyes last year,'' Allen Iverson said after generating 38 points of his own, the eighth time in 10 games he has reached 33 or more. "Last year, we could be 10 points down with 2 or 3 minutes left and we always felt we were going to win the game.

"We've got to get that same mentality back. We've got [opponents] we went through wars with last year that some of the [new] guys on the team know nothing about, don't know the severity of it. Once they get to know how real it is when certain teams try to play us, we'll be able to win those games.

Tags: Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia Sixers, NBA

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Philadelphia nips Wolves 96-91

Jan 31, 2002 6:12 AM

To the uninitiated, all the silk-purse talk after the sow's ear of another Timberwolves defeat -- a 96-91 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday at First Union Center -- might have sounded suspiciously, even gallingly, like the stuff of moral victories.

Those things were supposed to have been abandoned by this franchise around the time Hootie and his blowfish were big.

Yet as a snapshot of where the Wolves were late Wednesday, compared with their predicament 24 hours earlier, the half-full vs. half-empty outlook might have been a necessary step.

Losing by five points to an NBA Finals team is a lot better than losing by 33 to lottery dwellers.

Having a chance to win in the final minute beats the heck out of garbage time that lasts a whole quarter. Getting one guy off offensively is progress for an attack that was thoroughly discombobulated in Cleveland.

So when coach Flip Saunders and the players started dropping buzzwords such as energy, confidence, competing, pride and restoring Wally Szczerbiak's scoring, their optimism in climbing out of a two-week hole raised more hopes than red flags.

Tags: Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia Sixers, NBA

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Garnett feeling sorry after loss

Jan 31, 2002 6:10 AM

The focus, Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett said, was to distribute. To get center Rasho Nesterovic some "feels." To get forward Joe Smith some "feels." And especially to get guard Wally Szczerbiak some "feels."
"I was really (upset) about the fact that I couldn't help one of my teammates get more productive shots," Garnett said Wednesday, referring to Szczerbiak's 1-for-6 performance 24 hours earlier. "It haunted me all of last night, and I couldn't really sleep."

That might partly explain the final minutes of Minnesota's 96-91 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night at First Union Center.

After battling back from a 12-point third-quarter deficit and helping Szczerbiak score a team-high 31 points by the end of the game Garnett passed up two key shots in the final three minutes, something that eventually might haunt him more.

Tags: Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia Sixers, NBA

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Wolves notes: Szczerbiak bounces back

Jan 31, 2002 6:09 AM

Wally Szczerbiak, after his worst offensive night of the season Tuesday, had some gripes with the Timberwolves' attack. But coach Flip Saunders let him know that, ultimately, the burden was on him.

"I [told] Wally, 'When you become an All-Star, there's a target on your back. You can't say, well, I'm just going to get six shots,' " Saunders said. "You've got to go out and find 'em, and get open. That's the next step. That comes with maturity and being an elite player."

So what does Szczerbiak do Wednesday against Philadelphia, one night after scoring just three points on 1-for-6 shooting at Cleveland? He scores 31, hitting 14 of his 22 shots, and gets 20 of the Wolves' first 37 points.

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Cleveland rocks Wolves 114-81

Jan 30, 2002 5:12 PM

For the better part of four months, the Timberwolves had much of the NBA crying uncle.


For the past two weeks, it's the Wolves who have been caught crying wolf.

Or, as in the rubble of their 114-81 collapse against the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night at Gund Arena, simply crying.

What happens when someone cries wolf? People stop taking you seriously. The Wolves are on the brink of that now. Play badly enough, often enough, against clubs such as the Cavaliers -- who ended a 12-game losing steak, beat the Wolves for the second time this season and are a mighty 4-21 against teams with winning records -- and folks will stop paying attention.

Tags: Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA

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Cavs snap 12 game skid

Jan 30, 2002 11:14 AM

Branson Wright of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reports: You figured it would only be a matter of time before the Cavaliers would roll into their routine of starting at warp speed and then falling on their faces in the second half.

Last night, these Cavs were on pace to threaten the franchise's single-season record of 19 consecutive losses and they were facing a team with the third-best record in the league. The odds were in favor of a continued free fall. Forget what you previously believed.

A suffocating defense combined with 37 third-quarter points aided the Cavs' domination over the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 114-81 victory at Gund Arena.

The victory snapped the Cavs' 12-game losing streak. In addition to matching a season-high for points in a quarter, the Cavs won the rebound battle, 52-36.

"It's a big win because we've lost 12 straight games," Person said. "We've been doing some good things but it just hasn't showed in the win column. We came out and played well tonight. It is a relief to finally get that win."

Tags: Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA

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Minnesota at Cavaliers

Jan 29, 2002 4:50 PM

Tip-off: 7 tonight at Gund Arena.

TV/radio: Fox Sports Net Ohio; WTAM AM/1100.

Injuries: Cavs - Tyrone Hill (back), Lamond Murray (nose) and Jeff Trepagnier (right knee) are out. Timberwolves - William Avery (right knee) and Gary Trent (left ankle) are out.

Notable: The Cavs lost to the Celtics, 108-101, Saturday at Gund Arena - their 12th consecutive defeat. Andre Miller had 25 points, 17 assists and 10 rebounds. Bryant Stith scored a season-high 20. Cavs are 9-11 at home. On Nov. 13 at Minnesota, the Cavs won, 107-103. . . . Minnesota is coming off a 103-80 home victory over Atlanta on Saturday.

Tags: Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA

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Miller isn't expecting an All-Star invitation

Jan 29, 2002 4:49 PM

Andre Miller is a talented point guard. He also is a realist.

Asked his chances of being named today to the Eastern Conference All-Star team as a reserve, Miller said, "Slim. Pretty slim."

The primary reason: Miller's team has won 13 and lost 30. The record appears even uglier because the Cavs are mired in a 12-game losing streak.

"Guys who are making those kind of [All-Star] teams are on winners," Miller said. "If we were winning, I'd have a pretty good chance."

Eastern Conference coaches submitted ballots yesterday for two guards, two forwards, one center and two at-large selections. Cavs coach John Lucas worked the phones to lobby for Miller, who is averaging 16.0 points and leads the NBA with 10.2 assists.

"I'm going to try to call in some favors," Lucas said.

Miller will need to overcome a traffic jam. Among the candidates for guard spots in the East are Jason Kidd of New Jersey, Tracy McGrady of Orlando, Jerry Stackhouse of Detroit, Ray Allen of Milwaukee and Paul Pierce of Boston.

"I think Andre has a legitimate shot," Lucas said. "If we had a few more wins, I think he'd have a real legitimate shot."

Saturday against Boston, Miller had 25 points, 17 assists and 10 rebounds. It was his third career triple-double.


Scary moment:

Tyrone Hill, who has missed the entire season because of back trouble, crumpled to the floor during a scrimmage yesterday after a collision with Michael Doleac.

Hill writhed for several minutes, then left clutching his lower back. He later rejoined drills.

"I was real worried at first, because I hadn't had a hit like that in a while. . . . I'm just going to have to play through it at this point."

Hill said he hopes to be activated by mid-February.

Put me in, coach:

The shooting star of practice was Cavs associate coach Chuck Person, who knocked down long-range jumpers from everywhere. "Chuck was the poor man's Lamond Murray out there," Lucas said. "He's hollering 10-day [contract]."

Flipped out:

Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders, in his seventh season, has not fared well against his hometown team. Saunders, who grew up in Cuyahoga Heights and was an All-American basketball player in high school, is 4-6 against the Cavs (258-225 vs. rest of league).

Tags: Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA

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A legitimate star in Wolves' clothing

Jan 29, 2002 4:47 PM

One-man teams can win games in the NBA. To compete for championships, however, usually requires a duo.

Michael Jordan needed Scottie Pippen. Shaquille O'Neal needed Kobe Bryant. Allen Iverson waits.

The Minnesota Timberwolves were just another nice outfit until Kevin Garnett got legitimate help this season from Wally Szczerbiak. Now they at least can be taken seriously as a candidate to move deep into the playoffs.

Garnett and Szczerbiak lead the Timberwolves into Gund Arena tonight for a date with the Cavaliers, who have lost 12 consecutive games. It is the first and only time that Minnesota, which also features former Cavs guard Terrell Brandon, will visit Cleveland.

Since the departures of Stephon Marbury and Tom Gugliotta at different times in 1999, Garnett had lacked a running mate. The Timberwolves' nightly fortunes depended upon the performance of "The Big Ticket."

They still do - Garnett is averaging 21.7 points, 11.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists - but Szczerbiak has emerged to ease the burden considerably. A third-year pro out of Miami (Ohio), Szczerbiak is averaging 19.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists.

The combined output of the two is the main reason Minnesota sits 31-12, one of four teams in the league with 12 or fewer losses.

"I've always loved Kevin Garnett," Cavs coach John Lucas said. "I thought he could have done anything coming out of school. Wally's just gotten better and better each year.

"You used to say about Wally, 'He can't do this.' The next year, you're saying, 'He can't do something else.' Then the next year, you're out of 'can'ts.' He can do everything now."

In the 1999 draft, the Cavs explored opportunities to move up from the eighth slot overall for a shot at Szczerbiak. Nothing materialized, and the Timberwolves plucked him at No. 6. The Cavs selected Utah guard Andre Miller two picks later and are more than happy they did.

What the Timberwolves received was a 6-7 forward with athleticism and range. In his first two seasons in Minnesota, Szczerbiak gave indications of a bright future, averaging 11.6 and 14.0 points, respectively. But he did not begin to antagonize the opposition until coach Flip Saunders moved him to shooting guard before this season.

As coach of the U.S. Team in the Goodwill Games last summer, Saunders watched Szczerbiak succeed at the position. The Timberwolves also were bringing back power forward Joe Smith, whom they wanted to start. Smith at power forward meant Garnett, who stands 6-11 but moves with the fluidity of someone 6-4, could shift to small forward.

A whole lot of mismatches, and victories, have resulted. Garnett works over smaller players and is freed up from the physical grind down low. Szczerbiak can better play to his strengths, found in the open court and on the perimeter, while continuing to drive hard to the hoop or post up.

His 244-pound frame at shooting guard, coupled with a knack for putting the ball in the hoop from all angles, has Szczerbiak ranked seventh in the league in field-goal percentage (.517) entering last night. He was first among guards.

Szczerbiak's graduation to dangerous player unofficially came in two parts. On Jan. 4, he dropped a career-high 37 points on Utah. On Jan. 11, he scored 34 and Garnett had 32 as the Timberwolves ripped the Lakers, 120-102.

Against Los Angeles, Szczerbiak was 10-of-17 from the field and 13-of-13 from the line. No less a player than Bryant was left guessing.

Afterward, Bryant summed up the growing consensus around the league regarding Szczerbiak: "He's a better basketball player than I thought."

Tags: Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA

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Szczerbiak hopes to add a new All-Star memory

Jan 29, 2002 5:58 AM

The images still are fresh in Wally Szczerbiak's mind, his ability to describe specific details as easy now as years ago.

The Timberwolves guard and his father, Walt, made a trip to the NBA All-Star Game every winter. It was their vacation, their time to be around each other and the game they love.

Szczerbiak hopes his next trip is as a player, not a spectator. Szczerbiak will learn today if he was chosen for his first All-Star Game in Philadelphia on Feb. 10. The All-Star reserves will be selected by the league's 29 coaches, and Szczerbiak is expected to receive serious consideration.

Tags: Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA

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Pass it, forward

Stith provides lift with rare start

Brandon points the way

Garnett is five-time all-star

Rash changes find Nesterovic

Brandon, defense lead Wolves to victory

Recap: Timberwolves vs. Hawks

Garrett wants to play more, not move on

As Wolves flee to Canada, Woods stuck in the US

Wolves-Pistons recap

Pistons surprise Wolves 104-83

New TV package is heavy on cable games... bad news for Min fans

Billups will still start while Brandon's recovery continues

Wolves - Pistons Preview

Wolves' flame throwers ignite

Jordan, Wizards work out in Twin Cities; MJ praises KG and Wolves

Wolves grind down Jordan's Wizardry

KG needs those rings to be like Mike

It feels so good to beat Jordan - Timberwolves 105, Washington 101

Pain suits Brandon fine