Timberwolves 106, Clippers 90
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"There are always what-ifs, but our team is on the verge of winning 50 games. Who knows if Wally didn't miss most of the first half of the season. What if Rod was healthy? We're 7-1 with him as a starter. What if Joe was healthy? There's not much you can do. We're just going to have to be ready to play, no matter where we go... All it (Portland losing) does is that if we win out, we're either the four or the five. At least we control our own fate. Whether that's good or bad, we'll just have to wait and see."

"He (Strickland) played great. Eleven assists in 16 or 18 minutes... That's a pretty good assist ratio, with no turnovers. It helped Troy be more effective late. He had more oomph. I think we have a pretty good combo going with those two."


"I was just waiting to get back. I've been out for a while. I've been anxious to play, so I was just looking forward to getting back... It felt good. I'm not 100 percent, but it felt pretty good. I just wanted to get in the game. I felt confident about it."

"I just wanted to go out there and play within myself and make plays. I was able to do that tonight... He (Hudson) has put up a lot of minutes this season. It's the end of the season. You want to keep him fresh for the playoffs."


"We're just trying to control our own destiny by winning these last two games, and hopefully getting homecourt. That's our main goal... They (Lakers) are playing well, but we're just trying to get that homecourt advantage. And hopefully if we get that, it can give us an edge."

"The playoffs are looming close, and we're looking forward to them. We just want to continue playing well and continue to get wins, and be playing at a high level come playoff time."

"He (Strickland) was awesome. He can really pass the ball. He knows how to get to the seam of the defense, and he's thinking pass first. He's thinking about setting up guys. He's fun to play with."


"Rod came back and gave us an unbelievable lift. He knows how to play the game. Everybody is starting to understand their roles and fit in. We just have to be consistent in what we do."

"They (Chicago) are young and they don't have anything to play for — which is even worse. I can remember back in '95 when I played on a not-so-good team, we were just out to ruin everybody's season. That was the motivation... We have to not really worry about what they're doing, but prepare ourselves for what we do well."

"I think homecourt is big to everybody. Homecourt is always where your heart is, and everybody is fighting for that."

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"Garnett affects the game with the ball or without the ball. He's a very awesome and dominant player. That's why the crowd chants 'MVP'. The way I see it, it's a two-person race between Garnett and Duncan. They've played great all year."

"After we got it down to seven, we had two bad possessions and they brought back KG and he got them going again. When you're making a comeback from down 20, it takes a lot out of you. I probably should've subbed earlier, but I didn't. We had a bad five-minute stretch. It wasn't anything specific that we did. Minnesota just played well. They played good defense, which can make up for a lot of things."


"We fought back well. Of course, they're vying for a playoff spot and came out with a lot of intensity. But we played well. We just couldn't close it... We thought it might be our turn. But you have to give them a lot of credit. They fought hard. They really wanted that victory."

"They're capable of playing well in the playoffs if they hit their shots. You know Kevin Garnett is going to come to play. I don't think they have the same problems they had coming into the playoffs in the past, and could do very well."