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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Felipe Lopez is still living in a hotel, but
he has found a home in the left corner of the Minnesota
Timberwolves' offense.
|  | | Minnesota's Felipe Lopez throws this one down, but later hit a key 3-pointer for the Wolves.
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Lopez hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 50 seconds left in the
Timberwolves' 83-79 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on
Wednesday night.
Last Sunday, he hit a late 3-pointer to give the Wolves a
four-point lead in a 99-95 victory over the Blazers.
"Same time, same shot, same result," Timberwolves coach Flip
Saunders said.
Lopez, who made his fifth start for the Wolves, still hasn't
found a permanent home since signing with Minnesota on Feb. 28, six
days after being waived by the Washington Wizards. He still lives
in a hotel.
"Here, we have the mentality that if someone's in the corner,
they're always open," Lopez said. "Kevin Garnett and the coaches
get mad at me for not taking shots. That's an unusual situation."
Saunders said Lopez was a particularly important addition
because the Timberwolves have lost four of their next five
first-round draft picks for signing Joe Smith to an illegal, secret
contract.
"He's a great fit for this team, with his personality,"
Saunders said. "We lost a lot of draft picks, and everyone
wondered how we were going to be competitive. One way is to look
for guys who will be a good fit.
"We're hoping he is our No. 1 pick for next year."
The Wolves trailed in the fourth quarter for all but the final
4:47, when a pair of free throws by Wally Szczerbiak gave them a
76-74 lead.
The Trail Blazers reclaimed the lead at 79-78 on a three-point
play by Dale Davis and a pair of free throws by Damon Stoudamire.
Lopez's 3-pointer from the left corner was the Wolves' first
basket in nearly three minutes, giving them an 81-79 lead with 50
seconds remaining. The Blazers' Rasheed Wallace missed a shot to
tie with approximately 10 seconds remaining.
The defeat was the third in the row for the Trail Blazers, who
could have clinched their 19th consecutive playoff bid with a
victory.
"The last couple of weeks we've been on a killer
rollercoaster," Davis said. "Lopez made a couple of big plays."
Game notes
The Wolves' Kevin Garnett had 18 points and 18 rebounds,
for his 51st double-double in 74 games. ... Forward Shawn Kemp left
the Blazers for undisclosed "personal reasons." He is expected to
rejoin the team for the game Friday against Golden State. ... The
Trail Blazers missed all 11 3-pointers they attempted, tying a
franchise-low by a Timberwolves opponent. ... The Wolves won the
season series against the Blazers, 3-1, for the first time in
franchise history.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Portland Clubhouse
Minnesota Clubhouse
RECAPS
Miami 86
Washington 84
Phoenix 103
Charlotte 94
Toronto 97
Cleveland 94
Philadelphia 90
Detroit 84
Orlando 108
Boston 101
Minnesota 83
Portland 79
Vancouver 86
LA Clippers 78
Milwaukee 108
Golden State 78
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