Thurs, Apr 15, 2004
That's it! Haha, we got it! Number one seed in the west, meaning we get home court advantage all the way through the Western Conference Finals. We thumped the Grizzlies just hours ago, finishing our franchise record-setting season at 58-24. Good thing too, since the Spurs were right behind with their win over the Nuggets. Had we not beaten the Grizzlies, we would've finished third, and would have had to play these very same Grizzlies in the first round. But we won, so we get to play the eighth-seeded Denver Nuggets. And for the first time ever, we're actually the favourite in a Playoff series. Even though last year we had home court advantage over the Lakers, we were still the underdogs because, c'mon, they were the Lakers. But this year, we are so damn expected to break through the first round. We got the best record in the west, we got the best player in the NBA, we got homecourt advantage, we got Playoff veterans in Sam and Spree, and we're playing an inexperienced Nuggets team led by a rookie -- so we had better win this first round. These Nuggets have nothing to lose, their season is already a success. We're just getting started. Fifty-eight wins aside, we ain't done nothing yet. This season would be a major bust if we don't do some serious damage in the Playoffs. Hell, I want a championship -- and I don't think that's being unreasonable.

But one thing at a time. First things first -- let's go win our first Playoff series :)

Tue, Apr 13, 2004
As Timberwolves.com says, we're almost there! Almost there! We need just one more win to clinch our first ever division title, not to mention that coveted top seed on the West. This makes Wednesday's season finale in Memphis incredibly important. Our record right now stands 57-24, but the Spurs are right on our tails at 56-25. If we lose our season finale, and if the Spurs win theirs, we'll drop to third place (since they own the tie-breaker). SO, DAMMIT, DON'T LOSE. Yesterday's triumph over the Jazz was our eighth straight win, which is the third longest in franchise history [Quick story: The Timberwolves' longest winning streak is 11 games (2000-2001 season), the streak during which I had the pleasure of being there in person to watch them win the tenth straight]. It's a good thing we've been able to string this baby together. If we hadn't done that, we wouln't have this top spot. We literally needed every single win to stay ahead of the hard-charging Spurs, who have won nine straight. With just two more days left in the regular season, the Kings and the Lakers are out of the running for the number one seed. Only the Timberwolves and the Spurs are fighting for it, and we are in control of what happens. Just beat Memphis tomorrow and it's ours.

Meanwhile, Kevin Garnett has secured his fifth consecutive season of averaging at least 20-10-5. Even if he gets zero assists in the final game tomorrow, he will still average 4.96 assists, which registers as 5.0. KG now joins Larry Bird as the only players in the history of the NBA to average at least 20-10-5 for five consecutive seasons. And with one more game to play, KG's sick stat line currently reads 24.2 points, 14.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.17 blocks, 1.47 assists. Hell, this ain't just MVP numbers, this is hall-of-fame numbers. KG's MVP status for this year is a lock.

Fri, Apr 9, 2004
We did it! By beating the Kings in a come-from-behind victory last night, the Timberwolves now have the number one seed. If we can win the rest of our remaining three games, we will secure that top spot. We hold the head-to-head tie breaker over the Kings and the Lakers, but not the Spurs at this point. Against the Spurs, the season is tied at 2-2, but so far they have a better conference record. So we need to fend of the Spurs, and we can't afford to lose another game. KG and Sam were money, especially in the fourth quarter, in which we outscored the Kings 33-17. Garnett now has 69 double-doubles for the season, more than the 68 he racked up last year. The 69 is the most double-double since Hakeem Olajuwon's 72 back in the 1992-1993 season, and KG can equal that by getting double-doubles in the remaining three games this year. Tonight, we play the Warriors at Golden State. Must win must win.

Thurs, Apr 8, 2004
Tonight's showdown against the Kings is arguably the most significant regular season game in Timberwolves' franchise history. This is for the marbles right here. This is for the number one seed in the cut-throat Western Conference. This is for the head-to-head tie breaker. This is for keeping the Spurs, Lakers, and Grizzlies at bay. This is it right here. If we win, we'll climb over Sacramento for the top seed. If we lose -- don't. Don't even think about it.

Oh yeah, and Kevin Garnett for MVP. His name is already all over the damn trophy. Give it to him. Now.

Kevin Garnett is the best all-around player in the NBA...

Sun, Mar 14, 2004
Well, lately we've been playing (Garnett's word) "roller-coaster" basketball. Some say it must be that notoroius Sports Illustrated cover jinx (arrrgh), but I don't buy that. The good thing is that we beat the Lakers on Friday, and seem to be in a better rhythm. We seek revenge tonight against the Blazers, who whooped us good the other night. We have a 2.0 game lead over the Spurs, and we'd better hang on to it. Or build on it. Catching Sacramento is still a possibility, we just need to get back to playing Timberwolves basketball. Obviously, trying to get Wally, Troy, and Kandi back acclimated into the lineup has proven to be a challenge, but we'll do fine.

Our boy Kevin Garnett seems to be the absolute favourite to win the MVP this year. Nobody else comes close. It's an obvious choice. The Timberwolves are doing well, KG's playing like a dream. Life is good for KG, eh? And Brandi has been sporting an enormous diamond ring as of late, and thus it seems apparent that she and KG are engaged. Nothing official is in the works right now -- and likely not until the offseason, since KG probably wants to focus on this crucial season -- but expect a wedding day not too far off in the near future. My congratulations to the happy couple!

Tue, Feb 24, 2004
Alright y'all, check this: Next week's issue (Monday, March 1, 2004) of Sports Illustrated will feature Kevin Garnett, Latrell Sprewell, and Sam Cassell in a cover story. I for sure will cop a copy. KG hasn't been on an SI cover since October 30, 2000. And this marks his fourth SI cover. I look forward to it. Well, the Timberwolves bounced back from a loss to the Spurs with win over the Bucks tonight. We play the supposedly red-hot New Jersey Nets tomorrow, a team I absolutely don't like. Yeah they have a 14 game winning streak, but virtually all of those wins came on weak teams. It's garbage. So they try to come into the Target Center with that bogus win streak? Kiss it good-bye.

Sat, Feb 21, 2004
I've been asked by some people about KG's OBF clothing line. Understandably, a lot fans -- including myself -- are anxious to see it come out, and to rock some OBF gear. And this week on KG's official website at UpperDeck, KG himself revealed the status of the clothing line. According to Garnett, he will definitely bring it out the OBF clothing line. This is his response to a question submitted by a fan:

Hey What's up Bobby from Cali. Good looking on the OBF. I had a line up and running and about ready to launch before the 9/11. After that it wasn't a good time to come out. A lot of industries closed down, and behind the scene stuff proved that it wasn't the best timing, but I am definitely going to bring it back. Don't worry, when we get it out in stores, you will get an email and the whole world will know OBF is out. So make sure you keep watching for it , but it's definitely coming so just hold your horses. Thanks for writing my man. Stay Up. KG

Thurs, Feb 19, 2004
I love watching Kevin Garnett play defense. That man is sick, just beastin' out there. Just moments earlier, the Timberwolves spanked the top-seeded Sacramento Kings 92-75. KG was a terror on the boards, ripping down 24 rebounds to go along with 22 points, 4 assists, and 1 block. He had 12 rebounds in the first quarter alone! I mean, he just went after the ball with those endless arms like there's no tomorrow. Tip, tip, snatch. Tip, tip, snatch. From a fan's standpoint, it's so much fun to watch. Check this: KG now has 20 career 20-20 games. Also, it's great to see Wally for the first time this season -- he fit in very well. Troy Hudson was solid too. With the win over the Kings, we've now won four straight. We're still percentage points behind the Kings, but I know we'll overtake them soon. Gotta focus on one game at a time, though. We got the Pistons tomorrow, and then the Spurs on Sunday. Evidently, our schedule has hit a rought point. But we're red hot. In the meantime, y'all gotta read this article, from the latest issue of HOOP magazine. (I highly recommend buying a copy of the issue) Scoop Jackson did great with it. Just beautiful.

Sun, Feb 15, 2004
Just moments ago, the West beat the East 136-132 in the 2004 All-Star Game, with Shaq named the MVP. KG, last year's All-Star MVP, had 12 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block, 2 steals in 29 minutes. He seemed to be just having fun out there, guarding everyone from Baron Davis to Tracy McGrady. Since he won the MVP in last year's game, I knew he was gonna come out today and just have fun, not forcing anything. It was a fun, relaxing game for me to watch. In years past, I would keep track of how KG was doing, and would hope that he did well enough to win MVP. But after KG winning it last year, I'm much more at ease watching today game. I noticed that they gave Shaq that old standard-sized All-Star Game MVP trophy (looked so tiny in his giant hands), whereas KG took home a behemoth piece of hardware last year. Haha. KG's was special. All-Star Saturday yesterday was alright. The dunk contest was somewhat yawn-inducing. There was only one dunk I would give a 50 to, and that was J-Rich's off-the-backboard-between-the-legs slam. The rest was nothing exciting. On Friday, the Rookie Challenge was so fun. Absolutely no defence, but you gotta love that mini dunk fest near the end. All in all, I enjoyed the weekend. I'm so happy for Sam Cassell and Flip Saunders, who really deserve the honour. Now we gotta return our focus to the season. We play the Suns on Tuesday. Let's keep fightin'.

Thurs, Feb 12, 2004
So, the All-Star weekend is (almost) upon us. And so much is goin' on. First off, on Monday, the Timberwolves paid their annual visit to the Children's Hospital and Clinics. This year's theme was Valentine's Day, and the players gave the children gift bags that had Hot Tamales candy and t-shirts. Next up, Kevin Garnett graces the latest issue (March '04) of HOOP magazine -- which includes a cover story on KG. It's a must have for any KG fan. Believe me -- you'll know why. Also, SLAM is celebrating its tenth anniversary with its special issue (#77). There are three covers to collect: Kevin Garnett, Shaquille O'Neal, and Allen Iverson. This afternoon, I picked up the KG and AI covers (I'm not so big on Shaq). This issue is huge ... thickest ever. Make sure you at least pick up the KG cover. Anyway, the Timberwolves are heading into the All-Star festivities with their best record ever (37-15) at this point in the season, and they are 22 games above .500 for the first time in franchise history. It's so great. Kevin Garnett, Sam Cassell, and Latrell Sprewell took a charter jet together to Los Angeles late last night. Tonight, the three of them will appear on Craig Kilborn's Late Late Show, so make sure you catch it. Latrell, who won't be participating in any of the events, is going to LA to support KG and Sam, who will be All-Star teammates. Sam, at 34, is the second oldest first-time All-Star in league history. And KG ... well, KG is just KG. He never ceases to amaze me.

My predictions:
Got Milk? Rookie Challenge: Rookies over Sophomores, MVP: Carmelo Anthony
989 Sports Skills Challenge: Earl Boykins
RadioShack Shooting Stars: San Antonio
Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout: Peja Stojakovic
Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk: Jason Richardson
All-Star Game: West over East, MVP: Tim Duncan (since KG won it last year, I don't think he'll want to take this one. Those of us who understand him will bet on an unselfish KG looking to set up his teammates)

Sat, Feb 7, 2004
KG tied his season high of 35 points last night in a 103-92 win against the Cavaliers. Chants of "MVP! MVP! MVP!" permeated the entire Target Center. Appropriately enough. And I bring more good news: Expect to see a Kevin Garnett cover (and cover story) on an upcoming issue of Sports Illustrated. I have no idea which issue, but we can only assume it's just right around the corner. And here's the scoop: Sports Illustrated wanted KG over for a photo shoot. Garnett said he would only do it if they included both Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell in the photo shoot as well. And Sports Illustrated agreed to the proposal. I really look forward to the issue. This will be the first time KG makes a Sports Illustrated cover since October 2000 (with Darius Miles). Let's keep a lookout for it.

Thurs, Feb 5, 2004
We didn't play well last night, losing in Atlanta 97-89. Any way you slice it, it was a disappointing loss. KG got outplayed by Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and was visibly upset with his own performance (17 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block, 2 steals): "We had a decent lead, but I didn't hit any fucking shots. I played like horse-shit tonight. The shots that I took, I usually nail them, and for some reason I just didn't hit them." Sam Cassell (who was in fact named to the All-Star reserve on Tuesday) didn't shoot well, but still managed 20 points and 7 assists. Well, we should probably just move on from this setback. We got Lebron and company tomorrow at the Target Center. Speaking of Lebron, it's unfortunate that a guy like Jamaal Magloire gets named. It's stupid that the league requires that a backup center to be selected. I mean, c'mon, it's a All-Star Game. It's not like if you're missing a backup center, you would fall on your face. These are All-Stars, dammit. I must say, though, I was stunned at what Carmelo and Lebron said about being possible injury replacement. Carmelo said, "I don't want to be picked if somebody gets hurt." And Lebron wasn't so gracious either: "I'm an only child. I never want to be picked second." If you'll recall, Kevin Garnett's first All-Star game was back in 1997, when he -- all of 20 years old -- was named as an injury replacement for Shaq. Said Flip Saunders of KG: "I remember how excited he was. He never looked at that as a slap in the face. He looked at it as an unbelievable opportunity and something he was extremely grateful for." What a stark contrast. You think maybe the fame and hype have gone to Lebron's and Melo's heads. And this is expressly why Kevin Garnett is one of the most respected players in the league. He's respected by the fans, his peers, the coaches, the media, and he has genuine street cred. Able to relate to both the old guys and the young cats, KG really bridges the generation gap, and is an true ambassador for the game. Sometimes you wonder just how valuable Kevin Garnett is to the NBA.

And it's at times like this, I realize just how proud I am to be a Kevin Garnett fan.

Sun, Feb 1, 2004
We W.O.L.V.E.S., baby. After plowing through January with a stellar 12-3 record, the Timberwolves began February with a come-from-behind win against Philly. Just moments ago, we triumphed over the Sixers 106-101 despite being down by as much as 18 points. Kevin Garnett was at his very best -- with 32 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal -- and sank two crucial freethrows to put the Timberwolves up for good 100-99. Of course, Garnett was not alone. Sam Cassell had ice-water in his veins as he drained six consecutive freethrows in the final 15 seconds (and he has now made 54 straight freethrows). He had 29 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists. Latrell was also terrific with 21 points and 4 assists. Though Sacramento (33-12) has regained that number one seed, we're still right behind (33-13), gnawing on their heels. The Spurs (31-18), Mavericks (29-18), and Lakers (28-16) are far enough behind to give us some breathing room. Right now, we're in the stretch of games against Eastern Conference teams, and we really shouldn't have any problems with any of those clubs. Them fresh meat.

Thurs, Jan 29, 2004
The results for the 2004 All-Star voting came in today. It confirmed what we already knew, that KG would be a starter. But I was pleasantly surprised and happy to see that KG actually led the entire Western Conference. Not only did he beat his nemesis (Duncan), he even got more votes than Kobe. As for the entire league (see table below), Vince Carter led again, followed by Ben Wallace, with KG in third. Vince Carter and Ben Wallace benefited from the fact that they had no real competition in their ballot slots. KG, on the other hand, had to contend with the likes of Duncan, Carmelo, Nowitzki, Peja, and even Webber and Malone. That's a real victory right there. I think people are starting to appreciate Kevin Garnett as the undisputed best player in the NBA. And KG, in turn, shows love for his fans: "I'm grateful to all the fans who put me in the position I'm in now. I'm happy that I have the opportunity to represent my family, the Timberwolves and all the good people of Minnesota. I appreciate the fans and I look forward to giving my best in front of an international audience." Do y'all realize that this is the exact starting lineup as last year's (except that this year Vince won't be giving up his spot to a certain His Airness)? And among this group, Kevin Garnett has the most All-Star experience under his belt. Yes, this will be his seventh All-Star appearance, and sixth as a starter. Anyway, next week, the reserves will be announced. Look for Sam Cassell to be named to the West squad. All-Star weekend is in two weeks, folks. Patience, grasshopper.

Player	Online	Paper	Total
Vince Carter	1,857,320	269,863	2,127,183
Ben Wallace	1,718,133	264,118	1,982,251
Kevin Garnett	1,526,467	254,451	1,780,918
Kobe Bryant	1,541,100	218,617	1,759,717
Allen Iverson	1,516,724	214,924	1,731,648
Tim Duncan	1,350,066	331,369	1,681,435
Jermaine O'Neal	1,401,331	227,723	1,629,054
Yao Ming	1,241,347	243,184	1,484,531
Shaquille O'Neal	1,245,728	207,558	1,453,286
Tracy McGrady	1,096,578	135,247	1,231,825

Tue, Jan 27, 2004
It's official: Flip Saunders will coach the West in the 2004 All-Star Game. As a Timberwolves fan for so many years, to see him get this honour is just so great. Flip's been Garnett's coach since his rookie year, and KG's so proud: "From a personal satisfaction, I've been with him the longest. It's been a bumpy road. You go through a lot of different things for a reason. From a team standpoint, whenever you can, first, believe in a system and then try to execute a system every night, you give everything for your coach. You're willing to die for him at any cost, and vice versa. I think it's a reflection of not only our record but how we've been playing. And the unity of this team, not only that, but the potential of this team. It feels good right now." Last night, The Timberwolves staged a comeback and defeated the Nuggets in Denver, 97-95. Good ol' Spree tipped in a KG miss to break a 94-94 tie with 16 seconds to go. KG had a good game with 31 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 4 steals. Soon-to-be-an-All-Star Sam Cassell chipped in with 22 points and 11 assists. With the win, the Timberwolves have sole possession of the number one spot, not to mention the BEST RECORD IN THE NBA at 31-12. And we've shot up to number one on every single damn power ranking. Considering the fact that before this, we ain't never been number one on any power ranking, this feels absolutely terrific. In other news, KG was named player of the week for the week of January 19-25, during which the Timberwolves went 4-0. I read this from Steve Aschburner's report today that shows just how damn consistent KG is:

"The remarkable thing about Kevin Garnett being named Western Conference player of the week again isn't that he has won the honor three times this season. It's that he won it with numbers (24.5 ppg, 15.0 rpg, 5.8 apg and 2.0 bpg) that are almost identical to his season averages (24.4, 14.0, 5.1 and 2.26), a sign of his consistency."

Sun, Jan 25, 2004
After beating the Suns tonight 99-95, The Timberwolves have moved into a tie for first place with the Kings (who lost to the Mavs today). Unfortunately, the Kings currently own the tie-breaker (since they have a better conference record), so we're still officially in second place. But because the Kings don't play until Wednesday, we get a great chance to jump ahead tomorrow night, when we play the Nuggets. If we win tomorrow, we will claim that first seed. Woo. Kevin Garnett had 19 points, 17 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal tonight against the Suns. Sam Cassell had 32 points, further making his case as an All-Star. Trenton Hassell was huge for us with 15 points to pick up the slack for Sprewell, who had an off-night with just 4 points. Good win. Now let's look to tomorrow. We're comin' for you, Melo.

Wed, Jan 14, 2004
Haha, we did it! Just minutes ago, the Timberwolves beat the Spurs in San Antonio, and held on to that number one Mid-West spot. Sam Cassell was HUGE for us, hitting some tremendous shots in the fourth quarter. Sam is shooting the ball so well (50.3% coming into tonight's game), and he finished the night 12-23. Sam's the man! I'm rooting for him, and I really hope he makes the All-Star team this year. Spree chipped in with a nice 24 points, while KG managed 22 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, and 1 steal. He was plagued by foul trouble and got outplayed by Duncan, who had an individual monster -- if not Garnett-esque -- night with 36 points, 20 rebounds, 7 assists. But who cares. We got the win, and sent the Spurs to their second consecutive loss. The win's the most important thing. Next game is Saturday against the Rockets in yet another road contest. But it's all good -- we own the best road record in the league. Catch the game on ABC!

Wed, Jan 14, 2004
Showdown in San Antonio. That's what it is tonight as the Timberwolves take their four game winning streak into Texas. After the games of last night -- with the T-Wolves beating the Hornets in New Orleans, and the Spurs losing against the Hawks -- the T-Wolves have the lead in the Midwest Division. This is the first meeting between the two teams this season, and the Spurs is the only Western Conference team we haven't played yet. This is one hell of an important game. To hold on to our spot, we cannot lose to the Spurs. And with this being the second of back-to-back road games, it'll be tough. But you know KG will bring it. Well, he brings it every night, but tonight will give him extra incentive to beat the Spurs. KG will no doubt go hard at Rasho, who left the Timberwolves this summer and signed with the rival Spurs. And of course, the matchup between Garnett and Duncan is the one to watch. Battle of the titans. Over the past six seasons, the two of them have played each other 29 times (including Playoff games), with Duncan leading 18-11; here are their head-to-head stats (...damn!):

Sun, Jan 11, 2004
Even though we're not even half way through the season, that's not going to discourage the MVP talks. Last year, the award went to Tim Duncan, although one could make a strong case for Kevin Garnett (hell, in my opinion, KG was robbed ... but that's just me). This year -- at least up to this point -- the choice is crystal clear. But let's first look at some other potential candidates, shall we?

Allen Iverson: AI gets votes every year, and for good reasons. He's leading the league in scoring, and is the heart and soul of the Sixers. But the Sixers are struggling this year, just managing to stay in the playoff race (and yes, I know AI missed 10 games). AI's good, but he's not the league's MVP.

Baron Davis: This is a career year for him. The Hornets have a solid record. But MVP? Nah, there are better choices than Baron Davis.

Jason Kidd: Please. He's a joke. And not a funny one at that.

Shaq: Yes, the Lakers look out of sync without him. But he's averaging a career-low 20.0 points. Obviously, that's because the Lakers have two new future-hall-of-famers on board. He's still the most dominant player around (when he wants to be), but the Lakers don't need to rely on him as much anymore.

Kobe Bryant: He's no MVP. Like Shaq, Kobe's numbers are way down this season because of the presence of Malone and Payton. Plus, Kobe's game and concentration seem to suffer due to his ongoing off-court issues. His focus seems gone at times. And, even with the injuries, the Lakers are still underachieving this year.

Tracy McGrady: Yeah, right. With that lame Orlando Magic record?

Jermaine O'Neal: Well, the Pacers doe have the best record in the league right now. But O'Neal's numbers aren't much to be excited about. 20.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.76 blocks. Not bad. But not MVP either.

Tim Duncan: The Spurs are playing incredibly well as of late, leading the Midwest Division (ahem, barely -- Timberwolves are right behind). His numbers: 22.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.73 blocks, 0.91 steals. Now, those are great numbers. But they're all-star numbers. Not MVP numbers. And I must say, despite showing such a soft touch on those jumpers, Duncan can't a freethrow to save his life.

Peja Stojakovic: He's a legit candidate. As of right now, Sacramento has the league's best record, and they're doing this without Chris Webber. Peja is a huge part of their success, putting up a career-high 24.9 points. But the rest of his stats are merely okay. Peja is not a do-it-all star. He's a scorer and a pure-shooter.

Who does this leave us with? Garnett. Garnett. Garnett. This is obvious. Without a doubt, KG is the clear favorite for the MVP at this point. Averaging a jaw-dropping 24.7 points (4th in the league), 14.2 rebounds (1st in the league), 5.1 assists, 2.34 blocks (8th), 1.29 steals -- not to mention leading the league in double-doubles and efficiency rating yet again -- Kevin Garnett is having his best season ever. Yes, even better than the monster season last year. The Timberwolves are third in the West -- right behind the Spurs for the second seed -- and they're doing this despite tons of injuries hitting the team (Wally, Hudson, Madsen, Olowokandi). Cassell and Sprewell are doing their part -- and certainly the Timberwolves wouldn't be where they are now without them -- but the one singular force behind every Minnesota onslaught has been Kevin Garnett. Stats-wise, this is a dream year for Garnett. Team-wise, the Timberwolves are among the elites of the NBA (and just wait until they get players healthy). Anyone who doesn't think KG is the MVP so far, needs to get his/her head checked. Seriously.

Fri, Jan 9, 2004
The red-hot Minnesota Timberwolves just thumped the Blazers last night. We blew it wide open right out of the gates. KG had a nice little game with 26 points, 14 rebounds 2 assists, 1 block, and 3 steals -- in only 31 minutes of play. There was this one nasty tomahawk slam in the first quarter -- surely this is highlight material. Latrell Sprewell also played a wicked game with 24 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists. Sammy Cassell had a double-double with 10 points and 11 assists. We should win the next two against Miami and New Orleans, and then it's the showdown with the San Antonio Spurs. No doubt, that'll be one to get. Oh and, Kevin Garnett for MVP please.

Thurs, Jan 8, 2004
Wassup people. After beating the Shaq-less Lakers the other day, the Timberwolves have the Blazers tonight at the Target Center. And with the Lakers losing (yet again!) just hours ago in Denver, we've moved into third place in the West. Hey, we have a great shot at catching San Antonio and Sacramento, the latter also losing tonight. This is good news, eh? In the meantime, as the All-Star voting continues -- have y'all been keeping up with it? The last return has Tim Duncan ahead of Kevin Garnett -- yo, what the hell!? I have no idea why. You know what, I think it's so baffling -- I ain't even gonna think about it. Doesn't matter anyway, since those two are taking the two spots. But for braggin' rights, I'm sure KG will beat out Duncan in the end. And it looks like fans are sleeping on Sam Cassell. It's all messed up because I don't see his name anywhere among the vote distribution. I swear, the coaches better vote him on the reserve. I still cast my ballots (almost) everyday. My votes vary from day to day, but lately I've been voting:

West
G - Sam Cassell (He's legit ... y'all gotta see that -- PLEASE!)
G - Latrell Sprewell (Goin' with the Woofies)
F - Kevin Garnett
F - Carmelo Anthony (I'm stickin' with Melo)
C - Yao Ming (Shaq's boring)

East
G - Allen Iverson (You gotta be crazy if don't go with AI)
G - Desmond Mason (Sue me -- I'm a big fan)
F - Vince Carter (Of course)
F - Jermaine O'Neal (No other worthy choice)
C - Ben Wallace (Another easy pick)

Thurs, Dec 18, 2003
What a great game tonight. Sportsnet carried TNT's telecast of tonight's Timberwolves game against the Mavericks, and it was a lot of fun to watch. The Timberwolves ended the the first three quarters with buzzer-beaters (!): KG nailed a long three-pointer to end the first quarter. Trenton Hassell drained a high-arching rainbow shot to end the half. And Keith McLeod caught a pass from Spree and swished a long two to end the third quarter. As you can probably tell from my tone, the Timberwolves won -- no fourth quarter buzzer-beater required, thank goodness. We won 114-109 behind yet another dominating performance by Kevin Garnett. After all these years of watching Garnett play, he still amazes me. What he does doesn't surprise me. But it never ceases to amaze me. That cat is helluva lot of fun to watch. KG scored a season-high 35 points, as well as dishing out a season-high 10 assists. And since he also had 10 rebounds, this marked his first triple-double of the season, and the 13th of his career -- remember, last year, KG led the league in triple-doubles with six. I must say, though, the triple-double is just icing on the cake. Not only does beating Dallas feel so good -- I hate the Mavs ... (Nash and Nowitzki are annoying as hell) -- but we've also moved into first place in the Midwest Division (since we own the tie-breaker with Denver, who has the identical record of 16-9). This means we've jumped the West standings into second place -- behind them Lakers. We also now have our first four-game winning streak of the season. So we're ballin' now. Let's keep this going. Ooh, more good news: Troy Hudson will likely be back next week. We've been playing so well lately, having T-Hud back will spark us even more. Latrell didn't play well tonight, but Sam and Gary Trent stepped up and carried the load with KG. Trent had 18 points and 12 rebounds in his first start of the season, sinking all seven of his shot attempts -- impressive. It's good to know that KG is not a lonewolf anymore. Happy holidays, everyone. Y'all be safe.

Sun, Dec 7, 2003
Buzzer beater, anyone? Kevin Garnett just sank the Los Angeles Clippers with a 20-foot, buzzer-beating, game-winning shot (click here for video). He shot it from the left-wing, over Elton Brand. This is the second game-winner at the buzzer of his career (the other one was back on April 10, 2000 against the Pistons). I didn't see the game or anything, but I'm reading the boxscore and the play-by-play, which registered a (0:00) [MIN 96-94] Garnett Jump Shot: Made (24 PTS). Hehehe, this is great. After falling behind by double-digits (as many as 15) in the third and fourth quarter, the Timberwolves stormed back, with KG puncturing the onslaught with the last shot. All smiles, dog. Y'all do realize that KG's been nothing but phenomenal the past couple of games, right? After that incredible gutsy performance in Sacramento the other day, KG shows he's Mr. Clutch. And because of that -- and also the stellar play of both Sam and Spree -- the Timberwolves are finding ways to win. Garnett is also leading the league in rebounding, he's fourth in points per game, first in double-doubles, first in efficiency (just like last year), and he's averaging a career high in points, rebounds, and blocks. Kevin Garnett is unstoppable.

Sat, Dec 6, 2003
Whoa man. It is 1:30am here on the east coast, and the Timberwolves just beat the Kings IN Sacramento in overtime. KG poured in a season-high 33 points, ripped down (a new career high) 25 rebounds, along with 6 assists, 3 blocks and 1 steal. Not only is this a huge win, this might be our most important win so far this season. Keep in mind that, coming into the game, the Kings were UNDEFEATED (10-0) at home in Arco Arena. The Timberwolves went in there and handed them their first home loss. It didn't come easy, though. In regulation, with just 29 seconds to go, the Timberwolves were down six points. Yes, you read that right. We were behind by six points. Then get this: Kevin Garnett hit BACK-TO-BACK 3-pointers to tie the game. Good thing that those two treys sandwiched a pair of missed freethrows by Brad Miller -- otherwise we would've been in serious trouble. And so it was KG to the rescue. Truly inspiring. Of course, he had a lot of help from Spree and Sam (37 points for Spree, 24 points for Sam). This is expressly why we got those two guys during the summer -- to share the offensive load, and take some pressure off KG. Damn, what a game. I'm really happy with the win, and I hope we can continue to move up the standings. And now I'm off to bed. Peace.

Wed, Nov 26, 2003
Ugly. The loss to the Pacers last night was ugly. We got pounded bad. KG showed up to play -- 25 points, 16 rebounds 3 assists, 4 blocks -- but, other than Cassell, no one else did. Aw man, it was ugly (KG: post-game audio). Spree was held scoreless, going 0-8. Yuck, man. T-Hud and Wally have got to come back quick. One interesting thing to note: Jermaine O'Neal walked out of the Conseco Fieldhouse with an autographed Kevin Garnett jersey. He says he plans to frame it at home. Good going, JO dawg.

Mon, Nov 24, 2003
Hey! Today KG was named the Western Conference Player of the Week (for the week of November 17-23), after averaging 25.3 points, 15.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 3.0 blocks in the three games the Timberwolves played. The team won all three games for their first three-game winning streak of the season. Hopefully, this streak continues. We need to string a couple big ones together. Tomorrow we play the league-leading Pacers in Indiana, which I think will be a good test for us. Anyway, this is the ninth time KG has won the Player of the Week award. Only the ninth time? Seems like more ... oh well.

Sat, Nov 22, 2003
Spree stole the show last night, a game that was the first meeting between Kevin Garnett and Lebron James. KG, the trend-setter who turned pro straight out of high school eight years ago, registered 20 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks. Lebron, in foul trouble most of the night, came up with 19 points and 9 rebounds. But it was Sprewell who lit up the Gund Arena in Cleveland, scoring a season high 31 points. KG is impressed with Lebron James: "I was nowhere near LeBron. Expectations have been added to this guy and LeBron has exceeded the max. When I came in, I was more of a project. He's the finished product already. I heard somebody say he was hype. But he's created that hype with what he's accomplished. He's been handling the pressure. That young man has handled himself well." So, the Timberwolves stand 7-5, with another game tonight at home against the Clippers. Even though we're in a three-way tie for sixth place, we're actually not that far from the top spot -- only 2.5 games behind those Lakers. Just gotta keep on rollin'. [Edit: Timberwolves just pounded the Clippers for their third straight victory. KG scored a season-high 30 points, to go along with 19 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, and 3 steals. Not bad eh?]

Mon, Nov 17, 2003
Hello :) The Timberwolves have had the past couple of days off, hopefully they're able to fix some of the things that haven't been going right. Losing to the Jazz (ahem, twice) was embarrassing. Tomorrow, we play Carmelo and the Nuggets at the Target Center (we need to play better at home...). And Friday, it's Lebron and the Cavaliers in Cleveland. I got home today from school, and read about the NBA realignment for next season. There will now be six divisions (instead of the current four), the top team from each division will have the one of the top three Playoff seedings. Look at the Timberwolves' division, it looks pretty good: Minnesota, Denver, Portland, Seattle, Utah. In case you haven't heard, here is the full setup:

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division: Boston, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto
Central Division: Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indiana, Milwaukee
Southeast Division: Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami, Orlando, Washington

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Northwest Division: Denver, Minnesota, Portland, Seattle, Utah
Southwest Division: Dallas, Houston, Memphis, New Orleans, San Antonio
Pacific Division: Golden State, L.A. Clippers, L.A. Lakers, Phoenix, Sacramento

Fri, Nov 14, 2003
Timberwolves won last night in OT. Spree was clutch! Whew. Anyway, right now I'm staring at this year's All-Star Ballot, which came out yesterday. It's a little tough for me to decide on some of the positions (whereas some positions are easy -- you KNOW vince is gonna get tons of votes because he's has no competition in that East forwards position). Take the Eastern Conference guards ... I gotta go with Iverson for my first spot. But the other slot is hard to choose: Lebron or T-Mac? I know Lebron still has a long way to go, and that Tracy is already an established superstar, I really want to see Lebron play though. Remember, the All-Star Game is not about who's the most "deserving," but who the fans want to see. I guess the good thing about this is that you can vote daily (like last year), so I can distribute the votes anyway I want. Okay, here are the players for whom I cast my first ballot this year:

West
G - Ray Allen (I never vote for Kobe anyway)
G - Gary Payton (I vote for him every year ... no love lost even though he's a Laker now)
F - Kevin Garnett (do I really need to explain?)
F - Carmelo Anthony (I've been voting Chris Webber for the past few years, but Melo is mad cool)
C - Yao Ming (He is fun to watch -- Shaq is not)

East
G - Allen Iverson (obvious choice year after year)
G - Lebron James (tough pick between Lebron and Tracy, but...heh, I'll vote for Tracy tomorrow)
F - Vince Carter (another easy pick -- Vinsanity returns!)
F - Jermaine O'Neal (no one else worth voting for here; I like Odom, but I don't know what he's doing)
C - Ben Wallace (yet another no-brainer)

Thurs, Nov 13, 2003
We need to stop playing .500 basketball. 4-4 is not good. Granted, we were also 4-4 at this point last year, and eventually went 51-31 -- but this is disappointing with a team of KG, Spree, and Cassell. Plus, this year's Western Conference is ultra tough. Teams like Denver, Seattle, Golden State, Utah (!), Memphis (!!) are doing surprisingly good. And we're putting ourselves in a dangerous situation by falling behind this early in the season. Can't we string some wins together please? Starting with the Bulls tonight in Chicago.

Sat, Nov 8, 2003
The Timberwolves are in Miami tonight, getting set to play the Heat in about half an hour. Speaking of Florida teams, we whooped the Magic last night. T-Mac had one of the worst game of his career as a Magic, held to just 4 points. I got love for T-Mac, but I'm glad to see him get shut down by the Timberwolves. KG was his usual self, with 21 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal. Spree and Sam were also clicking, as was Mad Dog Madsen. I hated Mark Madsen as a Laker last year, with those lame facial expressions on the sidelines. Made me so mad. Now that he's a Timberwolf, I've come to appreciate his hustle and energy. Anyway, looks like when we got Spree and Sam on top of their game, we're alright because you know KG will just put the stranglehold on opposing teams. We're now 3-3 ... that overtime loss to the Kings really sucked, but we can't hang our heads -- although, I must say, losing to a Webber-less Kings is embarrassing. Troy and Wally are expected to be back around Thanksgiving (U.S.) -- please come back healthy. In the meantime, we gotta hold down the fort. Miami should be no problem. (And what on earth has happened to Lamar Odom?)

On a side note, I've fixed all the old links, and the entire site has a consistent look. It's much more polished now. Man, it takes so long to get everything just right, but it's all good. I've also uploaded a new batch of pictures in this year's gallery. Now run along, young grasshopper.

Tue, Nov 4, 2003
Holy crap. What the hell?! I swear some of these referees are complete wackos with huge egos. Check this out: Last night in Utah, ref#67 Jason Phillips ejected Kevin Garnett for "arguing" an offensive foul call. The following, written by Linda Hamilton of the Deseret Moring News, explains what happened

...[Garnett] was as surprised as everyone else Monday night when he was called for two technical fouls after getting an offensive foul for backing in on a shot attempt with 5:20 left in the first half against the Utah Jazz [TW edit: KG backed up on Keon Clark and made the layup, thinking it'd be a 3-point play].

When the offensive foul was first called, Jazz forward Matt Harpring tried to take the ball from Garnett and inbound it, but Garnett walked with the ball toward referee Jason Phillips, who eventually T-ed him once and then again in a fairly mild-mannered ejection.

Garnett had a little more to say, fairly quietly, then threw the ball into the middle of the stands before leaving.

"I tried to talk to the ref in the right kind of way. I showed real respect. Maybe he didn't see it that way," Garnett said, speaking softly outside the locker room after the Jazz's 93-88 victory.

"I'm very level-headed, and I'm very respectable of others," said Garnett. "And I'm very respectful of the referees, and that's why I was taken for like a loop, so to speak, because I went at him with respect.

"I presented myself really well. I didn't come off as being a headache or anything else. And he made a decision [that] I can't do anything about.

"There's no right or wrong way (to approach the official), in this case, if you ask me, because it couldn't have been no righter than that," Garnett said.

"That's not the biggest thing that happened. We got outrebounded and lost the game. It's not a good night. I'm just upset that I let my team down, and we lost ...

... "I think there was frustration by K.G. getting thrown out, and that's something that we'll address," Saunders said. "You can yell at those guys all you want. It ain't changing any calls. It ain't going to do anything good.

"You'd better have the mindset of knowing that they're there to do a job. They're going to try to do the job the best they can. You might not agree with what they call there, but you've got to live with it."

Live with it, no matter how much you disagree.

"I was there," said Saunders of his star getting tossed out. "All he was asking the guy was, 'Let me talk to you.' "

"To throw a guy out in that situation you could see coaches were trying to get him away.

"He didn't swear at the guy at all. I thought it was very questionable," said Saunders, speaking as softly and matter-of-factly as Garnett had.

Saunders added that losing Garnett could have been worse. "We weren't playing very good when he was in there. It shortens your bench a little bit, and some guys had a little bit of fatigue in the fourth quarter."

What a load of garbage eh -- I can't believe Phillips tossed KG for that. Do the refs think they're so high on a pedestal or something -- can't players talk to them anymore? And it was a timeout for cryin' out loud, it's not like KG was disrupting the game. He ain't even do nothing. Hell, I'd be furious like KG if I was kicked out like that. And KG looked so mad. He rifled the ball into the stands and "let loose a double-barreled expletive" (Steve Aschburner's words) as he was leaving. He just whipped that damn ball ... I hope it didn't hit a fan in the stands or something. KG will probably get fined or suspended for that (Edit: KG is fined $5,000 for firing that ball into the stands -- no suspension)... but I applaud his standing up for himself. Too bad the Timberwolves lost the game, though. We are now 2-2. Holy crap.

Sat, Nov 1, 2003
After a terrible performance last night in New Jersey, the Timberwolves bounced right back and pounded the Raptors tonight, 73-56. It wasn't pretty, but it's a win. KG registered 20 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks, and 1 steal -- a pretty solid all-around game. I got to watch this one on TSN, and it was great to see the team and all the new players. Last night, SportsNet offered a little bonus coverage of the Timbewrolves-Nets game, so I caught a bit of that too. Did y'all see KG leap over the first row chasing that loose ball? Man, he just flew over Yankee's Alfonso Soriano (who was sitting courtside), and cleared everybody. Wow.

Wed, Oct 29, 2003
Oh yeah. The Timberwolves just won their season opener against the Bucks. KG had a great game, with 25 points, 21 rebounds, and 6 assists, 3 blocks, and 1 steal. Just a typical night for KG huh? It's scary how good his "typical" nights are. New Timberwolves Spree and Sam got 15 and 18 points, respectively. Gary Trent contributed nicely with 14 points. I hope we get Troy and Wally back soon. We're far from being full strength at the moment. But we got a win under our belt, and I'm happy with that. We got New Jersey on Friday. Jason Kidd is way over-rated. He sucks...just like the rest of that team. We oughtta whoop 'em good (like Vince did to them tonight, heh heh). Anyway, it's a huge NBA night, and I'm following Lebron James' debut right now. Damn, that kid's got 12 points, and the second quarter is just underway. Kid's good.

Wed, Oct 1, 2003
"I'm excited for the fans. I'm excited for the city. I'm excited!" Check this: Kevin Garnett will remain a Timberwolf for at least another six years!! Today, Garnett held a news conference, announcing the signing of a contract extension (to read Steve Aschburner's article -- which is always a better read than the generic AP stuff, click here). The extension is for five years, which is the max according to league rules. This upcoming year is the last of his six-year-$126 million deal, which he inked back in 1997. How much is the new contract worth? It's unknown at this point, but it's likely to be over nine-digits (Edit: It is a five-year $100 million deal. Starting with $16 mil next season and increasing by $2 mil each year -- ending with $24 mil in 2008-2009). This will be a great year for the Timberwolves. Now that Kevin will be in a Timberwolves jersey for years to come, there will be no distractions this year. The focus will be on basketball and advancing in the Playoffs. Hopefully we can win a championship this year. That's very possible. But we'll worry about that later. Today we smile: "At the end of the day, man, I'm a Timberwolf. I bleed blue and green. That's in my veins."

Garnett said the following at the news conference: "You know I'm not one for a lot of words. I'm happy that the process has finally come to an end. I didn't want to be hassled with all you guys' questions throughout the year. You can get really creative with the questions and I didn't want to have to deal with that.

I'm happy. First off, I want to thank not only Glen Taylor, Kevin McHale, Flip, but also the whole Timberwolves organization on how professional they've been throughout this whole transaction. I'm happy to know that I'm going to be in Minnesota for the rest of my life. That's always a good thing. I've always considered myself a Minnesotan. I've always considered this home. I'd like to thank my family, Andy Miller, Jimmy Jam and all of the fans who have totally supported me throughout the years. It's good to know that I'm going to be here for another decade. So thank you."

Tue, Sep 30, 2003
What up what up. What a busy summer...so many things happened. With so many additions, new players, and changes in personnel, it's gonna take some getting used to. This is not the same Timberwolves team as last year. And KG's no longer with AND1 -- he's an Adidas cat now. I wonder if KG will sign a new contract before the season starts, just to let us know he's not going anywhere. I hope he does. So a new season is just around the corner. Media Day is on Thursday, followed by training camp, then the preseason. With all the new faces on this team, hopefully the team will gel quickly. This could really be our year. This should be our year.

Mon, July 28, 2003
Hey hey, long time no see. Busy summer for me. Busy busy. Summer school is CRAZY. But it's cool, I'm alright -- still alive and breathing, and that's the important thing. And what an offseason it's been for the Timberwolves. I don't know where to begin. Let's see...we picked up a promising young kid Ndudi Ebi, Cassell is in, Joe and Anthony are out, Rasho is gone, Olowokandi is in, Marc Jackson is out, and Sprewell is in. That's right: Latrell Sprewell is a Timberwolf. Hehehe. Second Round, here we come. In other news, a new batch of wallpapers has been released on timberwolves.com -- and I have added FOUR official Kevin Garnett wallpapers in the photo gallery section. If you want to check out the rest of the Timberwolves, go to the official site. Anyway, I gotta go. It's not even 7:00am yet -- I woke up at 5:00am to sign up for next year's courses. And I have a class at noon. Later y'all. Be good, my grasshoppers.