Even though Wally Szczerbiak tried to be nice and friendly to Shaquille O'Neal at the All-Star Game, scooting his chair over a few inches so the big man would have more room on the Western Conference squad's bench, it didn't earn him much goodwill.
Heading into the Timberwolves game Wednesday, the Lakers center had questioned Szczerbiak's 34 points in the Wolves' 120-102 victory on Jan. 11.
"He's not the type that's supposed to get (34 points)," O'Neal said. "He's a hustle player, but he's only supposed to get 10-12." O'Neal then challenged teammate Kobe Bryant to shut the Wolves' shooting guard down.
Well, it worked both ways Wednesday night. Szczerbiak scored only 14 points on 4-for-10 shooting. But Bryant scored only four of his 20 points in the second half and shot 8-for-25. That left him 17-for-52 over his past two games at Target Center.
"I just tried to make him earn everything," Szczerbiak said. "He got some chippies in the first half and got off quick, got a couple layups on the break and a couple offensive rebounds. But for the most part, when I was on him one-on-one, I just made him shoot over me and take a tough shot.
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Before last week, the best trade Kevin McHale had made as Timberwolves vice president was the one that brought Tom Gugliotta to Minnesota for Donyell Marshall in 1995.
But Gugliotta is long gone and McHale probably helped the team more this time when he traded center Dean Garrett, who didn't average three minutes of action, for Golden State's Marc Jackson, an NBA Rookie of the Year candidate last year who gives the team the big, strong rebounder it has needed so badly.
In Wednesday night's 112-101 victory over the Lakers, Jackson played 26 minutes, hit five of nine shots and two of two free throws for 12 points and picked up four big rebounds to give the Wolves a big lift in the third quarter when it looked as if the Lakers were going to make a comeback.
"I liked him a lot in Golden State," said McHale. "He is a big body out there. With his size and height he could play for the Vikings. He helped us win this game tonight."
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Timberwolves forward Gary Trent is more eager to return to the court each day he takes part in workouts.
"The more I do, the more confidence I build back that nothing will happen to me,'' said Trent, who has been sidelined since Feb. 6 with a strained left hamstring. "But I would say I'm still about two weeks away."
Trent said he has stayed in shape by riding a stationary bike and lifting weights, in addition to participating in limited drills in practice.
Trent's averaging 7.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in 18 minutes a game.
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Timberwolves Feb 2002 Archive
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| Feb 28, 2002
In assessing Chauncey Billups' decision-making, coach Flip Saunders likens the Wolves' point guard to a spirited young quarterback who is learning, sometimes the hard way, how to read defenses: A great play might be followed by a bad read or two, followed by another good play.
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| Feb 28, 2002
Coach Phil Jackson wasn't out of line last weekend when, sizing up the Timberwolves, he claimed to see "fear in their eyes.
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| Feb 27, 2002
Shaquille O'Neal dismissed the Timberwolves' acquisition of Marc Jackson with one word.
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| Feb 27, 2002
Timberwolves guard Wally Szczerbiak thought about the question while sitting on a chair after practice Tuesday and watching newly acquired Marc Jackson work on drills across the court.
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| Feb 26, 2002
The Timberwolves, who had lost in Charlotte 11 straight times before last season, probably wouldn't mind if they never entered Charlotte Coliseum again.
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| Feb 26, 2002
Better make space at the top of the Midwest Division.
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| Feb 26, 2002
North Carolina is basketball country the way Minnesota is a hockey state.
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| Feb 26, 2002
The Charlotte Hornets just might be the NBA's most enigmatic team: Better road record than the Sacramento Kings, worse home record than the Chicago Bulls.
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| Feb 25, 2002
When San Antonio's Terry Porter dived for a loose ball and rolled onto the back of Timberwolves guard Chauncey Billups' right ankle Saturday night, one uneasy, incongruous thought passed through the minds of some Wolves watchers:
Why doesn't the team's newest player spell his first name with a "k" instead of a "c"?
Huh? Bear with us: Marc Jackson is the big guy acquired Thursday at the trading deadline.
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| Feb 25, 2002
Two nights after being praised for their unselfishness in their rout of Sacramento, the Spurs were generous to a fault.
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| Feb 24, 2002
The Timberwolves apparently pulled a coup Thursday when they traded little-used, much-paid center Dean Garrett to Golden state for forward/center Marc Jackson.
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| Feb 24, 2002
Remember the Alamodome.
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| Feb 24, 2002
As broken up as the Timberwolves were over the departure of buddy Dean Garrett, they should have focused on the many similarities between Garrett and the man for whom they swapped him, Golden State forward/center Marc Jackson.
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| Feb 23, 2002
It was Dean Garrett, of all people, who was talking the other day about the liberation of being traded from a losing team to a playoff contender.
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| Feb 23, 2002
New Timberwolves center Marc Jackson was watching a play Friday when, as is his nature, he smacked his hands together and screamed, "Good job, Felipe!"
"They all kind of turned around and looked at me like, who's Felipe?" Jackson said later, laughing as he told the story.
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| Feb 22, 2002
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| Feb 22, 2002
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| Feb 22, 2002
The Midwest Division just got a little scarier for the Spurs.
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| Feb 22, 2002
After suffering through their worst loss of the season in Wednesday's 39-point blowout in Milwaukee, the Rockets had little time to throw a pity party with Western Conference title contender Minnesota waiting for them Thursday night.
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| Feb 22, 2002
Strange world, the NBA.
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| Feb 22, 2002
The Minnesota Timberwolves were ready to write it off as another fruitless deadline day when general manager Kevin McHale made one last call to the Golden State Warriors.
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| Feb 22, 2002
Roughly a week ago Golden State general manager Garry St.
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| Feb 22, 2002
Before Minnesota's 89-83 loss Thursday to the Rockets, forward Kevin Garnett did his pregame shorts-tying, shadow-boxing ritual alone.
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| Feb 22, 2002
Several member of the Houston Rockets stood around during warmups and looked down the court at the Timberwolves with envy, after learning of the Wolves' trade for Golden State big man Marc Jackson.
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| Feb 21, 2002
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| Feb 21, 2002
Jackson got is wish and will now team with Kevin Garnett
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| Feb 21, 2002
General managers around the league, including Wolves vice president Kevin McHale, continued to man the phones on Wednesday, trying to improve their teams.
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| Feb 21, 2002
Sam Mitchell was talking movies.
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| Feb 21, 2002
Yeah, we know, you have heard enough about Nick Van Exel to last you a lifetime.
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| Feb 21, 2002
Jalen Rose and Travis Best made their debuts in a Bulls jersey yesterday, the pair immediately making an impact in carrying the Bulls to an unlikely victory over the New York Knicks.
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| Feb 20, 2002
As losses go, none this season was worse for the Mavericks than Tuesday's 117-100 defeat to the undermanned Minnesota Timberwolves.
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| Feb 20, 2002
The Nuggets are anxious to hear about the Van Exel trade saga.
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| Feb 20, 2002
Several weeks ago, before the season took an unexpected detour and ugly losses shook his team's confidence, Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders sorted the schedule into segments.
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| Feb 20, 2002
If Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders is to be believed, neither he, his staff nor the Wolves players thought much about forward Kevin Garnett's absence heading into their game against the tremendously talented, dauntingly deep Dallas Mavericks Tuesday night at the America Airlines Center.
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| Feb 20, 2002
Backup power forward Gary Trent and the Timberwolves had to adjust their calendars again Tuesday when an MRI exam revealed enough trauma in Trent's left hamstring to push his return back another week.
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| Feb 20, 2002
The Timberwolves, without star forward Kevin Garnett, were given an outside shot, at best, of beating the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.
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| Feb 20, 2002
Versatile.
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| Feb 19, 2002
If Timberwolves vice president Kevin McHale had his dream, the NBA would lower ticket prices by 25 percent and, in his words, "adjust everything accordingly.
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| Feb 19, 2002
The Timberwolves tonight begin what several players called "the toughest stretch of our season.
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| Feb 18, 2002
How do you beat a zone in the NBA? One with a 7-footer who possesses a wing span of a 747 at the point and two more 7-footers underneath?
Make shots, something the Miami Heat do better than just nine teams in the league.
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| Feb 18, 2002
Early in the season, Heat forward Brian Grant was so down on himself that he almost chopped off his trademark dreadlocks.
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| Feb 18, 2002
When Terrell Brandon, the Timberwolves' starting point guard, went down with a cartilage fracture in his left leg, Minnesota was expected to lose its grip on its second-place standing in the Midwest Division.
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| Feb 18, 2002
The way Minnesota's defense baffled Miami on Sunday, it seemed as though the Heat was dealing more with rocket science than a simple 3-2 zone.
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| Feb 18, 2002
Less than a minute remained Sunday in the Timberwolves' 93-80 home blowout of the Miami Heat when Minnesota coach Flip Saunders called a 20-second timeout.
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| Feb 18, 2002
If it were up to Kevin Garnett, the Timberwolves would play man-to-man defense for 48 minutes and forget all about coach Flip Saunders' snazzy zones.
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| Feb 17, 2002
Felipe Lopez majored in hospitality management at St.
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| Feb 17, 2002
Robbi Pickeral of the Pioneer Press reports that Timberwolves forward Gary Trent always has been an athlete who dives right in — wholeheartedly and fearlessly.
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| Feb 17, 2002
When: 3:30 p.
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| Feb 16, 2002
MINNEAPOLIS — Let's get this straight.
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| Feb 16, 2002
The New York Daily News is reporting that the Knicks are currently discussing a deal which would send point guard Charlie Ward to the Minnesota Timberwolves for center Dean Garrett.
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| Feb 16, 2002
Nick Van Exel sat alone in the visitors locker room at Target Center with a blank stare.
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| Feb 16, 2002
Kevin Garnett took full responsibility for all that went wrong for the Timberwolves on Friday night, but the reality is he had plenty of help.
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| Feb 16, 2002
Friday was Kevin McHale Bobblehead Night at Target Center.
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| Feb 15, 2002
Timberwolves point guard Chauncey Billups was napping Wednesday afternoon when his beeping pager startled him from his slumber.
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| Feb 15, 2002
Denver @ Minnesota previews.
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| Feb 15, 2002
Timberwolves vice president Kevin McHale on Thursday vehemently denied published reports that his team was prepared to trade point guard Terrell Brandon for Denver point guard Nick Van Exel had Brandon not been injured.
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| Feb 15, 2002
Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders hesitated for the briefest of moments, until the optimist and sportsman in him took over.
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| Feb 14, 2002
The Timberwolves faced their past Wednesday night when they beat the Phoenix Suns and former point guard Stephon Marbury 107-92 at Target Center.
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| Feb 14, 2002
The news was passed Wednesday evening via pager, a team gathering and media huddles.
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| Feb 14, 2002
With 1:17 left at Target Center on Wednesday night, Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett walked off the court, grabbed a plastic cup off press row and toasted the crowd of 18,701.
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| Feb 14, 2002
Timberwolves point guard Terrell Brandon's season, already ruptured once by surgery on his left knee, ended Wednesday with the news that he will undergo a second operation on that knee for a new injury.
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| Feb 14, 2002
On the night the Timberwolves waved goodbye to their starting point guard, they reintroduced themselves to defense, and it made all the difference in their 107-92 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night at Target Center.
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| Feb 14, 2002
Dan Barreiro of the Star Tribune reports that Terrell Brandon is about to undergo surgery again and therefore could not be dealt for Joe Crispin, let alone Nick Van Exel, and Chauncey Billups is the Wolves' point guard for the foreseeable future.
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| Feb 13, 2002
Injury may end hopes of landing Van Exel
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| Feb 13, 2002
Timberwolves point guard Terrell Brandon will miss another game tonight because of soreness in his surgically repaired left knee.
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| Feb 13, 2002
On Wednesday night, when the Timberwolves resume play after the All-Star break, they will see their past in Stephon Marbury.
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| Feb 13, 2002
The salt stains on Joe Smith's face looked like faint war paint, left there by sweat that dried after the Timberwolves' second demanding practice in 18 hours.
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| Feb 13, 2002
Nick was boo'd in his own building
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| Feb 13, 2002
Point guard Terrell Brandon missed the Timberwolves' first post-all-star-break practice Monday night because he was in Cleveland getting a second opinion on his surgically repaired left knee.
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| Feb 12, 2002
Vandeweghe denies rumors of several trade talks.
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| Feb 12, 2002
Of course the Knicks aren't the only team making a play for Nick Van Exel.
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| Feb 11, 2002
NY Times Reports that Talks are Serious
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| Feb 11, 2002
They will take the floor at the First Union Center as teammates, one-sixth of the Western Conference squad in the 2002 NBA All-Star Game but a much larger fraction of whatever it is the Timberwolves accomplish during the next three months.
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| Feb 11, 2002
After his 10-point, three-rebound, 12-minute all-star debut Sunday, Timberwolves guard Wally Szczerbiak was asked to name his most memorable moment of the weekend.
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| Feb 9, 2002
In preparation for Friday's photo shoot with GQ magazine, the agent for Timberwolves guard Wally Szczerbiak was given one instruction:
"All they told us was, 'Have him bring some shorts,' '' Gary Wichard said, chuckling.
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| Feb 9, 2002
When Timberwolves guard Wally Szczerbiak was a youngster, he often played in Larry Bird-style Converse shoes.
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| Feb 9, 2002
One-by-one, the NBA all-stars strolled into the grand ballroom Friday, a procession of youthful millionaires.
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| Feb 9, 2002
If referee Luis Grillo tosses Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan out of another NBA game Sunday, something will have gone horribly wrong for all three of them.
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| Feb 8, 2002
The morning shootaround in Cleveland two weeks ago was almost over when Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett huddled his teammates at midcourt, clapped his hands and became the first to congratulate teammate Wally Szczerbiak on making his first NBA all-star team.
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| Feb 8, 2002
The Timberwolves will hand out a coupon for a free pop or beer, courtesy of their all-star forward, to the first 10,000 fans attending Wednesday's game against the Phoenix Suns.
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| Feb 7, 2002
Finally, a way to watch the Timberwolves on national television.
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| Feb 7, 2002
M.
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| Feb 7, 2002
As eager as the Timberwolves might be to get away, physically and mentally, from the recent downturn in their fortunes, the NBA All-Star break won't be devoted entirely to blackjack tables, lounge chairs, umbrella drinks or even "honey do" lists.
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| Feb 6, 2002
A day after Tim Duncan's first ever ejection (in a Spurs victory over the Timberwolves), the ejection was rescinded by the league, reports Johnny Ludden of the San Antonio Express News.
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| Feb 6, 2002
The Wolves can head into their week-long All-Star break with a better taste in their mouths if they play a lot better against the Trail Blazers.
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| Feb 6, 2002
The way the Timberwolves have been playing lately, the NBA All-Star break might seem to be coming at a good time.
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| Feb 6, 2002
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephen Jackson was suspended Tuesday for one game and fined $7,500 by the NBA for a flagrant foul against the Timberwolves' Loren Woods.
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| Feb 5, 2002
With Duncan confined to watching television in the locker room after he and Kevin Garnett were ejected, seven Spurs scored at least 11 points in a 113-83 rout of the Timberwolves in front of 17,809 at the Alamodome.
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| Feb 5, 2002
No Freeze for Wally Z
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| Feb 5, 2002
Maybe the suits know what they are doing after all.
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| Feb 5, 2002
Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders said he's been hearing an awful lot lately about how inconsistently his team has been shooting.
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| Feb 5, 2002
He walked off the court, chin up, eyes seething, feet shuffling as one corner section of the Alamodome heckled, then cheered.
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| Feb 5, 2002
It is cold for Wally in the Twin Cities
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| Feb 4, 2002
MINNEAPOLIS -- It wasn't supposed to be a preview of the Western Conference playoffs, not the first Sunday of February here at the Target Center.
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| Feb 4, 2002
He slashed, he leaned, then he acrobatically scooped a shot over several Timberwolves defenders that quieted the crowd and sealed the outcome.
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| Feb 4, 2002
Timberwolves point guard Terrell Brandon sat out the final 16 minutes against Sacramento on Sunday after experiencing pain and swelling in the left knee that sidelined him for 16 games in December and January.
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| Feb 4, 2002
How long does it take for a team that rolls over and allows itself to be outscored by 41 points to recover from the humiliation?
Minnesota's sports fans have yet to find the answer in the case of the Vikings, a team beaten 41-0 by the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game on Jan.
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| Feb 4, 2002
A visit by the Sacramento Kings to Target Center generally has meant two things in recent years: enough scoring to test every bulb on the scoreboard and a Timberwolves victory.
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| Feb 3, 2002
MINNEAPOLIS — Chris Webber had 31 points and 14 rebounds, and the Sacramento Kings defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 112-107 Sunday for their 17th win in 18 games.
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| Feb 3, 2002
Kevin Garnett is eligible for an extension at a time the model franchise player is leading Minnesota to a club record for victories.
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| Feb 3, 2002
When the Timberwolves talked about objectives heading into the 2001-02 season, the Los Angeles Lakers always seemed to pop up in discussion.
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| Feb 3, 2002
The Timberwolves' string of games against mediocre Eastern Conference opponents was supposed to be a tuneup, a leisurely stroll to pad the victory column and gain confidence before shifting their focus to more pressing matters this week.
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| Feb 2, 2002
Wally Szczerbiak, with a scorer's mentality and a shooting percentage to back it up, figures that every shot he takes is a good one.
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| Feb 2, 2002
The Timberwolves practiced on the Boston Celtics' courts, worked out with their weight equipment, got a good night's sleep in their city and, in making themselves thoroughly at home, did everything but take the Celtics' girlfriends out to dinner.
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| Feb 2, 2002
evin McHale was asked last night to rate current Celtics standouts Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce against the franchise's greats.
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| Feb 2, 2002
has become a mental game for the Celtics.
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| Feb 2, 2002
For a team that is allegedly among the elite in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association, the Milwaukee Bucks certainly do experience their share of peaks and valleys.
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| Feb 1, 2002
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.
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| Feb 1, 2002
With the Timberwolves offense in the grips of a nasty recession and their defense under siege from threats both foreign -- all right, Toronto -- and domestic, Kevin McHale gave an impromptu state-of-the-team address Thursday afternoon.
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| Feb 1, 2002
The Wolves have been blown out on the road lately, most recently at Cleveland on Tuesday.
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