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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Timberwolves lost their cool,
their coach and their cushy lead Monday night. Kevin Garnett made
sure they didn't lose the game.
Garnett scored 25 points and sank a 10-foot jumper at the horn
as Minnesota recovered to defeat the Detroit Pistons 102-100.
After the buzzer-beater, Garnett ran around the court with his arms out, like a little kid pretending he was an airplane.
|  | | Minnesota's Wally Szczerbiak drives against the Pistons' Michael Curry. |
"I'm just happy we won," he said.
And made it through a game that featured 60 fouls, dozens of
debatable non-calls, three foul-outs, five technicals and one
ejection -- and a blocked free throw, of all things.
Terrell Brandon added 16 points for Minnesota, which tied the
franchise single-season record by winning its 26th game at Target
Center.
Grant Hill scored 36 points and was 17-of-18 from the foul line,
including the go-ahead free throws after Wolves coach Flip Saunders
was ejected in the third quarter for clashing with the officiating
crew.
Hill, playing on a tender left ankle, dunked with 16 seconds
left to pull the Pistons to 99-98. After Wally Szczerbiak hit one
of two free throws a second later, Hill drove the lane to tie it at
100 with six seconds left.
The Wolves called timeout at 2.4 seconds, and Sam Mitchell
inbounded the ball to Garnett, who was closely guarded by three
players as he stepped into the lane and let loose a 10-foot floater
that fluttered through the net at the horn.
That capped a wild night which ended with the mild-mannered
Saunders watching on television from his office.
"It really didn't surprise me. Flip's one of those gladiator
coaches," Garnett said. "Sometimes he holds back too much and
ends up taking it out on us in the locker room. It not only fired
us up but it fired up our fans."
The game featured 30 fouls on each team. The Pistons shot 42
free throws, the Wolves 35.
Saunders was infuriated that Malik Sealy got a technical in the
third quarter.
Sealy said official Joe Forte had no right calling the technical
on him because he didn't hear what he said, and besides, he wasn't
the object of his tongue-lashing anyway -- official Scott Foster
was.
"I turned and walked away and next thing I know the other guy,
Forte, is giving me a technical," Sealy said. "I'm minding my own
business. ..."
Saunders was so frustrated with the officiating that he tossed
his suit coat into the seats, ran onto the court and went into a
profanity-filled tirade in the third quarter.
"I reverted back to my CBA days with my coat toss," Saunders
said.
Foster gave him a technical, then tossed him when Saunders
continued his harangue.
Saunders said he figures his team didn't get many calls because
the Wolves have a reputation as a jump-shooting team that doesn't
drive to the basket. His final outburst came when Radoslav
Nesterovic collided heavily with Jerry Stackhouse and then Hill but
no foul was called.
It was just the third time Saunders has been ejected in his
four-year NBA coaching career, but the second time this season.
Hill sank both technical foul shots, giving Detroit its first
lead, at 61-59.
After Hill hit back-to-back jumpers over Szczerbiak to give the
Pistons an 84-75 lead, assistant coach Jerry Sichting sent in Sealy
to guard Hill and the Wolves responded with an 18-2 run, led by
Garnett's seven points, after which Christian Laettner was whistled
for a technical.
"I made a few mistakes out there," Sichting said. "The
biggest was not grabbing Flip fast enough."
The game turned comical with 1:28 left when Brandon charged and
blocked Terry Mills' free throw -- because Joe Smith had picked up
his sixth foul and was still on the court.
After Pistons coach George Irvine got an explanation and Smith
left the court, Mills sank both shots while Brandon continued
laughing.
"I had never seen a guy block a foul shot before," Irvine
said.
Brandon said he was just trying to do the right thing.
"I didn't know the rules, but I didn't want Terry to hit the
free throw and then have the officials reverse it because Joe was
still on the court," Brandon said. "I went up and asked Scott
(Foster) if that was a technical, what I did, and he said, 'No.' "
Good thing. There were enough of those already.
Game notes
Saunders was ejected on Dec. 4, 1999, against Dallas and on
March 16, 1998, against Utah. Both of those also were at Target
Center. ... Garnett got kicked on the side of his left knee late in
the third but stayed in.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Detroit Clubhouse
Minnesota Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 99
Atlanta 94
Philadelphia 96
Miami 80
Toronto 112
Cleveland 103
Charlotte 107
Washington 105
Milwaukee 104
Orlando 87
Minnesota 102
Detroit 100
New York 83
Indiana 81
LA Lakers 106
Seattle 103
Portland 90
Utah 86
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