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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Kevin Garnett's name was well down the list
among the Minnesota Timberwolves' scoring leaders for a change.
|  | | Timberwolves forward LaPhonso Ellis gets some hang time after missing a dunk. |
Yet Garnett was the major reason why the Timberwolves defeated
the Orlando Magic 109-100 for their fifth victory in a row Thursday
night.
Garnett had 16 points, 18 rebounds and was two assists shy of
producing his second triple-double of the season.
"I'm doing the little things, like blocking shots,
rebounding," Garnett said. "There ain't no 'I' in none of this.
Totally team."
Garnett helped the Timberwolves shoot a season-high 54.7 percent
(41 for 75) despite making only six of 15 field goal attempts.
"What's happened here, because of KG's unselfish play, is that
down the stretch those other guys will have confidence, too,"
Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders said. "It's nice when your best
player has that unselfish attitude."
LaPhonso Ellis came off the bench to score 24 points, and Wally
Szczerbiak added 22. Szczerbiak shot 9-for-12 and Ellis was
8-for-14.
Terrell Brandon, who had 18 points and six assists, was
8-for-10, adding another impressive performance during the winning
streak. He is averaging 20.8 points and 7.6 assists while shooting
55.9 percent during the past five games.
"There's no reason he couldn't be player of the week, month,
whatever it is," Garnett said.
Garnett, though, was the player of this game. Among his
highlight film plays was a behind-the-back assist from the low post
to Rasho Nesterovic for a dunk.
"He might be the only guy in the league -- or one of only one or
two -- who does not have to score 26, 28 points to dominate a
game," Saunders said. "Sometimes when we're asking Kevin to score
so much, he wasn't able to do the other things at times. Everything
we do, offensively and defensively, is geared off him."
Tracy McGrady led the Magic with 28 points. He made only 11 of
29 shots and was just 5-for-12 from the foul line.
Darrell Armstrong added 21 points for the Magic.
The Timberwolves scored 11 points in a row -- including five by
Szczerbiak -- in the first quarter to take a 22-20 lead.
The Wolves increased the lead to 53-43 before McGrady started
connecting. Held to five points over the game's first 21 minutes,
McGrady scored the Magic's next eight points in a stretch of about
two minutes.
Minnesota led 57-51 at the half. The Magic took their first lead
of the second half, at 70-69, by going on a nine-point run. Bo
Outlaw made the go-ahead basket by dunking on a missed shot by
McGrady, but the Magic's lead didn't last long.
"It seemed that we held KG down offensively, but then someone
would step up for them," Armstrong said. "We couldn't get the key
stops."
Game notes
Magic rookie Mike Miller's first appearance at Target
Center drew about 300 fans from his hometown Mitchell, S.D. ... The
Magic were coming off three overtime games, which tied an NBA
record. ... Minnesota held the Magic to 11 assists, a season-low by
a Wolves opponent. The Wolves forced only nine turnovers, also a
low by an opponent. ... The Wolves' Chauncey Billups missed his
fourth game because of a sprained ankle. ... McGrady has scored at
least 25 points in nine of the past 10 games.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Orlando Clubhouse
Minnesota Clubhouse
RECAPS
Dallas 120
Vancouver 83
Portland 92
Indiana 82
Minnesota 109
Orlando 100
Utah 98
Denver 96
San Antonio 97
Sacramento 91
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Tracy McGrady Official Site
Kevin Garnett Official Site
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