Timberwolves vice president Kevin McHale strode into the Target Center locker room two weeks ago, looked into the faces of his victorious team and declared, "Guys, this is a bad sign.''
Three wins, five losses, and several grim performances later, he's not exactly saying "I told you so.'' But players are beginning to admit, "You were right.''

The Wolves enter tonight's game at the Celtics having lost four of their past five games, and four in a row on the road. Since their 97-83 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 15 -- McHale's first warning sign of an impending slump because of the team's lackadaisical effort in the second half -- they've slipped behind Dallas for the lead in the Midwest Division and fallen to fourth in the Western Conference.