2001-02 Key Dates | 2001-02 Team Notes | 2002 Timberwolves Playoff Index

Joe Smith returned to the Timberwolves during the offseason. (Jesse D. Garrabrant, NBAE/Getty Images)

The Wolves opened the year winning their first six games and finishing October/November with a 10-4 record, going 9-4 in the month of November, the most successful November in franchise history. The Wolves added three newcomers — Gary Trent and rookies Loren Woods and Maurice Evans — and welcomed back former Wolf Joe Smith. Opening the season with wins over Philadelphia, Memphis, Houston, and New York, Minnesota highlighted its winning streak with a 53-point triumph over Chicago, the largest victory in club history. After posting a win in Milwaukee, the Wolves lost their first game against Cleveland. With the lead changing hands several times throughout the game, Cleveland sank six straight free throws in the final 20 seconds to seal the victory, 107-103. It took double overtime for the Wolves to score their next win, over Indiana. Down 11 points in the third quarter, Minnesota went on a 16-4 run, eventually sending the game into a second overtime. With the Wolves' balanced scoring attack, and Indiana missing nine straight shots to open the final OT, Minnesota prevailed, 120-113. For his outstanding play the week of November 12-18, Kevin Garnett was named NBA Player of the Week. Garnett recorded 24.3 ppg, 13.3 rpg, and 6.0 apg, while the Wolves finished 2-1. The following week, Minnesota announced the retirement of forward Tom Hammonds. The Wolves then finished out the month 3-3, hoisting victories over Orlando, Miami, and San Antonio, yet falling to Orlando, Seattle, and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Terrell Brandon was placed on the Injured List for the first time in December. (Ron Turenne, NBAE/Getty Images)

Minnesota completed the month of December with a 10-5 mark, the best December in franchise history. The Wolves started out the month losing to the Los Angeles Lakers, 102-76, closing a three-game West Coast swing with three straight losses. Minnesota then went on a 6-0 run — their second of three streaks of at least six wins during the season — posting wins over Seattle, Memphis, Houston, Golden State, Utah, and Sacramento. During that stretch, the Wolves out scored their opponents by an average of nearly 19 points a game. After losing to Dallas on the road, Minnesota turned around to play Dallas again at Target Center three days later. The Wolves held a comfy 16-point lead at halftime, but Dallas tied it up with two minutes left to play. Tim Hardaway's '3' sealed the Wolves' fate with 18 seconds remaining, as the Mavs won 107-103. At one point during the game, Minnesota held a 22-point lead, resulting in the largest blown lead in club history. The loss to Dallas also ended a six-game home winning streak. One day after losing to New Jersey, Wolves guard Terrell Brandon underwent arthroscopic surgery due to synovitis in his left knee. Without Brandon in the lineup, Minnesota finished out the month 4-1, losing in Sacramento, yet victorious over Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, and Portland. The win over Charlotte began a nine-game Target Center winning streak. On Dec. 28, the NBA restored the Wolves' first-round draft pick for the 2005 draft.

Anthony Peeler averaged 16.8 points per game against Seattle in 2001-02. (David Sherman, NBAE/Getty Images)

Minnesota began the month of January with eight straight wins, extending their winning streak to nine in a row — the second-longest winning streak in club history. The Wolves triumphed over Milwaukee, Utah, Atlanta, and Detroit, before hosting Seattle at Target Center. Anthony Peeler lived up to the nickname "Seattle Slew," scoring 26 points, 21 of which were 3-pointers. Twelve points from Kevin Garnett in the third quarter and Wally Szczerbiak's free throws in the closing seconds sealed Seattle's fate, 111-106. Minnesota went on to rout the Los Angeles Lakers 120-102, as well as Washington and the Los Angeles Clippers, before traveling to Phoenix. Chauncey Billups' 14 first quarter points were no match for former Wolf Stephon Marbury. Knotted up 100-100 in overtime, Marbury drained a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds remaining to put the Suns on top, 103-100. After posting a three-point win at Golden State with Terrell Brandon back from knee surgery, the Wolves and a record-breaking Target Center crowd (20,320) welcomed in Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards. Jordan's 29 points were not enough to overcome the Wizards' 27 percent shooting in the fourth quarter, when the Wolves led by as much as 12 points with less than two minutes remaining. Although the lead changed hands 23 times, Minnesota rode its 65 percent shooting in the third quarter all the way to a win, 105-101. The Wolves ended out the month on a slide, going 1-4, winning at home against Atlanta, but losing four games on the road at Detroit, Toronto, Cleveland, and Philadelphia.

Kevin Garnett recorded a double-double at the All-Star Game with 14 points and 12 rebounds. (Noren Trotman, NBAE/Getty Images)

The Wolves opened February with a 98-95 overtime win in Boston, but followed it up with losses to Sacramento and San Antonio. The loss to the Spurs featured the third-quarter ejections of Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett — ending Garnett's streak of double-figure scoring at 338 games, the eighth-longest in NBA history. After a win at home against Portland, the Wolves sent two players to Philadelphia for the 2002 All-Star Game on Feb. 10: Kevin Garnett (for the fifth time) and Wally Szczerbiak (for the first time). Garnett had 14 points and 12 rebounds in 24 minutes, while Szczerbiak added 10 points and three assists in 12 minutes to lead the Western Conference to a 135-120 victory. On Feb. 13, the Wolves placed Terrell Brandon on the Injured List. He had surgery the following week to repair a cartilage fracture on the surface of his left femur and was sidelined for the remainder of the season. After posting wins at home against Phoenix, Denver, and Miami, Minnesota completed a four-game road trip with a 3-1 record, losing to Houston, but highlighted by wins at Dallas, Charlotte, and San Antonio. Chauncey Billups scored a career-high 36 points — 24 of which came in the third quarter, breaking the old franchise record held by James Robinson — as the Wolves rallied for a 117-100 victory at Dallas. On Feb. 21, Minnesota dealt Dean Garrett and a 2007 second-round pick to Golden State in exchange for Marc Jackson. The Wolves then closed the month with three straight wins, capped by a 112-101 triumph over the Lakers. For his outstanding play during February, Garnett was named Western Conference Player of the Month (the second such award of his career) by averaging 22.1 ppg, 11.9 rpg, and 5.0 apg.

Robert Pack made his first appearance in a Timberwolves uniform on March 19. (David Sherman, NBAE/Getty Images)

Minnesota faced the Ides of March, going a mere 6-10 for the month. After starting the month with a loss against San Antonio, the Wolves rebounded in Utah, beating the Jazz 116-105. In a game that saw Minnesota's bench score 56 points, Will Avery reeled off seven straight points to erase a two-point deficit in the third quarter. The Wolves finished the game going 8-9 from the line to ensure the victory. Posting three losses on the road, at Seattle, Portland, and Phoenix, the Wolves faced yet another defeat at home against the Los Angeles Clippers. The score remained close and the game heated, as Flip Saunders was ejected with 7:51 remaining the third quarter. With the score tied 75-75 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Clippers scored seven unanswered points and won the game, 108-99. The Wolves then lost a close game at home to Houston, 96-95, in which Gary Trent was ejected after arguing a flagrant foul call. Losses number six and seven in March also came at Target Center against Indiana and Utah, resulting in the second-longest home drought in Wolves' history at 0-5. On March 18, Minnesota signed free agent guard Robert Pack to a 10-day contract, then signed him for the remainder of the season. With Pack in the lineup, the Wolves started 2-2, posting wins against Toronto and Memphis, while losing to Portland and Golden State. Minnesota then opened up a four-game winning streak that extended into April with a win over Dallas. The Wolves led by 12 at the half and were up by as much as 19 in the third quarter. But Dallas cut the lead to one on a Steve Nash trey with one minute remaining. Having possession of the ball, Dallas had a chance to force overtime, but Nash's jumper fell short. Chauncey Billups dished out a club-record 17 assists as the Wolves went on to win, 113-111.

Wally Szczerbiak has started 196 consecutive games, 10 short of the team record. (Jesse D. Garrabrant, NBAE/Getty Images)

The Wolves opened April completing a four-game winning streak with a victory against Memphis at Target Center. Minnesota then traveled to Denver and lost a close one, 88-87. Leading by one at the half, the Wolves allowed Denver a 10-0 outburst in the third quarter, but then went back up by one going into quarter four. Following two Anthony Peeler treys, Minnesota held a four-point lead with 50 seconds remaining, but Denver's Voshon Lenard scored the game-winning basket with 11 seconds left in the game. Following a win against Phoenix, the Wolves went 2-2 on the West Coast, posting wins against Golden State and the Clippers, while losing to Sacramento and the Lakers. The Lakers game featured a Wolves team that shot a mere 33.3 percent on the night. Tied after the first quarter and down by 12 at the half, Minnesota could get no closer than seven off the lead with under seven minutes remaining. The Wolves' frigid shooting was a season-low as the Lakers went on to win, 96-83. After losing to Boston 93-90, Minnesota finished off the regular season with a franchise-record-tying win number 50 over Denver. With 60 points coming from the bench, the Wolves shot 51 percent and grabbed 48 rebounds to triumph 104-90.