Box Score

 

UTAH (85)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
M Harpring          40  7-16   0-0   3-9   5   3   14
K Malone            39  8-14   3-5   0-4   4   2   19
G Ostertag          35   5-7   0-3  1-10   0   2   10
D Stevenson         24   3-7   1-1   1-4   2   2    7
J Stockton          29   3-9   4-4   0-0  11   0   10
M Jackson           19   2-8   0-0   0-1   5   1    4
A Kirilenko         32   3-7   1-1   0-4   1   3    7
T Massenburg         8   2-5   0-0   0-1   0   1    4
S Padgett           13   3-5   3-3   0-2   0   2   10
J Amaechi            1   0-1   0-0   0-0   0   0    0
C Cheaney          DNP  - STOMACH VIRUS                                  
C Arroyo           DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 36-79 12-17  5-35  28  16   85
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.456, FT-.706. 3-Point Goals:
1-14, .071 (M Harpring 0-3, J Stockton 0-4, M
Jackson 0-4, A Kirilenko 0-1, S Padgett 1-2).
Team Rebounds: 5. Blocked Shots:3 (G 
Ostertag, M Harpring, A Kirilenko). 
Turnovers:12 (G Ostertag 5, K Malone 4, J 
Stockton 2, M Harpring). Steals: 7 (J 
Stockton 3, M Jackson 2, K Malone, M 
Harpring).


MINNESOTA (92)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
W Szczerbiak        40  4-16   2-2  3-10   4   3   12
K Garnett           45 11-19   2-4  2-17   7   3   24
R Nesterovic        35  7-10   0-3  3-10   1   3   14
A Peeler            38  6-11   2-2   0-2   5   3   17
T Hudson            40   3-9   6-6   2-5   9   3   14
K Gill              18   1-4   4-5   1-4   2   2    6
M Wilks              8   0-1   1-2   0-1   1   0    1
M Jackson           13   1-2   0-0   1-2   0   1    2
G Trent              3   1-2   0-0   0-0   0   0    2
J Smith            DNP  - SPRAINED RIGHT ANKLE                           
L Woods            DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
I Rakocevic        DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 34-74 17-24 12-51  29  18   92
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.459, FT-.708. 3-Point Goals:
7-18, .389 (W Szczerbiak 2-6, A Peeler 3-6, T
Hudson 2-6). Team Rebounds: 4. Blocked 
Shots:5 (R Nesterovic 2, A Peeler, W 
Szczerbiak, K Garnett). Turnovers:17 (K 
Garnett 6, T Hudson 4, W Szczerbiak 3, K Gill
2, A Peeler, M Jackson). Steals: 5 (K Garnett
2, A Peeler, T Hudson, M Wilks).

-------------------------------------------
UTAH                 23  20  19  23   -  85
MINNESOTA            19  22  23  28   -  92
------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: Minnesota - 1 (M Jackson, 
9:48 4th).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 14,227. T: 2:20. 
Officials: Bill Spooner, Gary Benson, Joe 
Crawford.

Extended Box

 

UTAH (85) AT MINNESOTA (92)

UTAH

                                               REBOUNDS                        
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
M HARPRING        F    40    7-16     0-0      3   6   9    5   3   1   1   14
K MALONE          F    39    8-14     3-5      0   4   4    4   2   1   4   19
G OSTERTAG        C    35    5-7      0-3      1   9  10    0   2   0   5   10
D STEVENSON       G    24    3-7      1-1      1   3   4    2   2   0   0    7
J STOCKTON        G    29    3-9      4-4      0   0   0   11   0   3   2   10
M JACKSON              19    2-8      0-0      0   1   1    5   1   2   0    4
A KIRILENKO            32    3-7      1-1      0   4   4    1   3   0   0    7
T MASSENBURG            8    2-5      0-0      0   1   1    0   1   0   0    4
S PADGETT              13    3-5      3-3      0   2   2    0   2   0   0   10
J AMAECHI               1    0-1      0-0      0   0   0    0   0   0   0    0
C CHEANEY             DNP  - STOMACH VIRUS                                            
C ARROYO              DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   36-79    12-17     5  30  35   28  16   7  12   85
                            (.456)  (.706)  TEAM REBS:  5 TOTAL TO: 13 (13 PTS)    

MINNESOTA

                                               REBOUNDS                         
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
W SZCZERBIAK      F    40    4-16     2-2      3   7  10    4   3   0   3   12
K GARNETT         F    45   11-19     2-4      2  15  17    7   3   2   6   24
R NESTEROVIC      C    35    7-10     0-3      3   7  10    1   3   0   0   14
A PEELER          G    38    6-11     2-2      0   2   2    5   3   1   1   17
T HUDSON          G    40    3-9      6-6      2   3   5    9   3   1   4   14
K GILL                 18    1-4      4-5      1   3   4    2   2   0   2    6
M WILKS                 8    0-1      1-2      0   1   1    1   0   1   0    1
M JACKSON              13    1-2      0-0      1   1   2    0   1   0   1    2
G TRENT                 3    1-2      0-0      0   0   0    0   0   0   0    2
J SMITH               DNP  - SPRAINED RIGHT ANKLE                                     
L WOODS               DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
I RAKOCEVIC           DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   34-74    17-24    12  39  51   29  18   5  17   92
                            (.459)  (.708)  TEAM REBS:  4 TOTAL TO: 17 (20 PTS)    
  
   UTAH               23   20   19   23   -   85
   MINNESOTA          19   22   23   28   -   92
  
BLOCKED SHOTS: UTAH - G OSTERTAG, M HARPRING, A KIRILENKO.  MINNESOTA -
R NESTEROVIC 2, A PEELER, W SZCZERBIAK, K GARNETT.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: UTAH 1-14 (.071), M HARPRING 0-3, J STOCKTON 0-
4, M JACKSON 0-4, A KIRILENKO 0-1, S PADGETT 1-2. MINNESOTA 7-18 (.
389), W SZCZERBIAK 2-6, A PEELER 3-6, T HUDSON 2-6.
TECHNICAL FOULS: MINNESOTA - M JACKSON.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: BILL SPOONER, GARY BENSON, JOE CRAWFORD.
A - 14,227. T - 2:20.

Game Story

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- After a sorry start, Kevin Garnett and 
Wally Szczerbiak had a fantastic finish.

Garnett scored half his 24 points and Szczerbiak made two big
3-pointers in the fourth quarter to lead the red-hot Minnesota
Timberwolves to their fifth straight win, a 92-85 victory over
the Utah Jazz.

"KG was huge in the fourth with scoring, taking the big shots
and finding guys like Wally open for shots," Minnesota coach
Flip Saunders said.

A leading MVP candidate, Garnett did not sway any public opinion
in the first three periods of the nationally televised game,
making just 5-of-12 shots as he was held in check by Karl
Malone.

Szczerbiak was even worse, making just 1-of-13 shots through the
first three-plus quarters.  As a result, the Timberwolves found
themselves trailing, 70-68, with just over seven minutes to go.

A tip-in by Rasho Nesterovic tied it before Garnett made a pair
of jumpers around a 3-pointer by Szczerbiak, giving Minnesota a
77-72 lead with 5:15 remaining.

Two more jumpers by Garnett kept the lead at 81-77 before
baskets by the ageless duo of Malone and Stockton tied it with
1:56 to go.  On the next possession, Garnett blew past Malone
and put in an off-balance shot to give the Wolves the lead for
good.

After Utah committed a shot clock violation, Nesterovic grabbed
an offensive rebound.  Garnett beat the defense by firing a
cross-court pass to Szczerbiak, whose 3-pointer from the left
corner made it 86-81 with 44 seconds left.

"AP (Anthony Peeler) yelled at me to get to the corner,"
Szczerbiak said.  "He grabbed me and kind of pushed me that way.
That just shows my teammates have the confidence in me.  It's
one thing we have now - trust and confidence in each other."

Garnett had his league-leading 48th double-double with 24
points, 17 rebounds and seven assists.  Szczerbiak made just
4-of-16 shots but also had a double-double with 12 points and 10
boards.

"Good ol' No. 21 (Garnett) was amazing again tonight,"
Szczerbiak said.  "If he hadn't done what he did, my shot
wouldn't have mattered down the stretch."

"Garnett made some tough shots," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said.
"He really made things happen.  He made a terrific pass to
Szczerbiak for the three.  That certainly hurt."

Nesterovic had 14 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota, which
has won a club-record 15 straight home games.

"The win still wasn't pretty," Saunders said.  "It was a game of
spurts.  We'd go on a spurt and go up by six, and then they
would go on a spurt and go up by four."

Karl Malone scored 19 points and Matt Harpring added 14 for the
Jazz, who are the only team to beat the Wolves in February,
posting a 109-97 home win on February 17.  But they have lost
three of four since.

"Some guys aren't totally committed to this team," Jazz coach
Jerry Sloan said.  "Some guys are very committed, and some guys
don't even want to be here.  It makes it tough to have success."

Both teams shot 46 percent, but the Wolves outrebounded the
Jazz, 51-35, including 12-5 on the offensive glass.

"We were very aggressive tonight," Saunders said.  "We pummeled
them on the boards."

"You always look at what you can do to make us better, and I
think one of the things that I can do is rebound more," Malone
said.  "Four rebounds - my little boy gets more than that in
Junior Jazz (youth basketball)."

Minnesota took a 64-62 lead into the final period, and jumpers
by Garnett and Szczerbiak made it 68-63 with 9:38 left.  After a
scuffle with Minnesota's Marc Jackson, Scott Padgett had a
jumper and three free throws before a layup by Malone gave the
Jazz a 70-68 lead.

Peeler scored 17 points and Troy Hudson added 14 and nine
assists for the Wolves.

Padgett, Greg Ostertag and John Stockton scored 10 points each
and Stockton handed out 11 assists for the Jazz.