Wolves Lose Battle with Warriors

An odd pattern had been developing with the 3-20 Timberwolves heading into Wednesday evening's Target Center contest against Golden State: Every sixth game, Minnesota had won. Sure, the Wolves lost every other game, but on that sixth game night, victory belonged to the team from the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

It started with Sacramento on Nov. 14, continued at New Orleans on Nov. 26 and then against the Suns at home in Minnesota's best win of the year. Wednesday against the Warriors was supposed to be that sixth night ... And at halftime, the pattern looked to be developing into a rule.

Behind 19 points from Rashad McCants and only two turnovers for the entire team, the Wolves took a 62-54 lead heading into the locker room. But wait a second ... They play 48 minutes in the NBA.

In the second 24 minutes, the Warriors came storming out with the fire that's made them the league's second-highest scoring squad. Golden State outscored the Wolves 30-11 in the third quarter's final 8:30 to take a 91-79 lead into the fourth quarter, and effectively finish off the Wolves. Final score: 111-98, the Warriors' 15th win in 20 games.

"We've been fighting all year," said an animated Randy Wittman after the game. "But when a team comes out and attacks you, you have to man up. At some point we have to stand up and say, 'Enough's enough.'"

The Wolves certainly threw the fight's first punch in the first half; McCants was terrific, playing all 24 minutes to get his 19 on 7-of-10 shooting, adding four dimes and two steals with no turnovers. Jefferson added 15 points and six boards, and Gerald Green took advantage of an opportunity to play in Marko Jaric's absence (flu) to score 10 points and grab five boards in the second quarter.

But that Warriors head coach Don Nelson had some choice halftime words for his team is as safe a bet as the chance that it's warmer in Oakland than Minnesota in the middle of December.

"You don't think Nelly was in their (ear) at halftime?" Wittman asked. "They came out and threw a punch, and we have to stand up and meet it."

"Every good NBA team is going to make a run," added Al Jefferson. "We just have to make one back ... We have to come together as a team and hit back."

The key statistic in that game-changing third period? Nine Minnesota turnovers, a figure that just can't happen against a team that can score as quickly as the Warriors. Golden State switched from a zone to intense man-to-man pressure, and the Wolves balked.

"When you're a young team, you come out with energy and start hitting shots," said Warriors forward Al Harrington, who scored 14 key third-quarter points. "When you're a veteran team you have to get some stops on defense and be aggressive. Once we went man-to-man in the third quarter we got some stops and we got our energy up."

It was Harrington and Monta Ellis, not Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson, that sparked the Warriors' explosion. Ellis was everywhere in the first six minutes, scoring eight points and dishing four dimes. The bulk of Harrington's 14 included the final five points of the third, including a heartbreaking fall-away three at the end of the shot clock to send Golden State into the fourth with a 12-point lead.

"Al is probably our only guy that can get 40 a couple games in a row," said Stephen Jackson, who added 20 points. "I'm streaky, (Baron Davis) is streaky, but Al is solid and has the total package ... inside, outside, everything."

But to their credit, the Wolves did throw the punch Wittman was searching for in the fourth quarter, playing the Warriors to a stalemate. It just came too late. The closest Minnesota would get was within eight after a 10-2 run with roughly six minutes remaining. Corey Brewer's and-1 and Jefferson's first bucket of the fourth on the next possession gave the Target Center faithful some hope.

But if there were a play of the game, it came a few minutes later with 4:25 remaining when Brewer missed a gimme layup that would have cut the lead to six. Of course, within three seconds, a streaking Ellis dunked the ball at the other end to extend the lead back to 10.

Game over.

But at the end of the evening, perhaps breaking the win-only-once-every-six-games thing being snapped is a good thing. If the young Wolves can find a way to hit more experienced teams back straight in the mouth, and just a bit earlier, more wins will surely follow.

News, Notes and Numbers
- Marko Jaric missed the game with the flu, and Gerald Green took advantage with 18 points and eight rebounds in 30 minutes of burn.
- The Wolves amassed 14 second-half turnovers to seven from the Warriors after committing just two in the first half.
- Andris Biedrins was effective with 15 rebounds, three blocks and eight points, and Monta Ellis scored his 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting.
- Greg Buckner and Antoine Walker missed the game with respective calf and ankle injuries. The Wolves had just 10 players dressed, though only eight played.
- Theo Ratliff had successful arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Tuesday (Dec. 18). Dr. James R. Andrews of the Alabama Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Ala. performed the operation and repaired cartilage. Ratliff is expected to miss the next six weeks as he rehabs from the surgery.