Tuesday, June 1, 2004, 12:33pm ET ----- Much thanks and respect

A season to remember.

A ride to cherish.

An experience to build on.

A reason to be even more hungry.

A team to be proud of.

An MVP to thank.

A website to write. And here I am. Here we are, actually. We're all in this together, win or lose. And despite losing last night to the Lakers, ending our season, the Timberwolves have a lot to be happy about. I'm very, very proud of this team. I'm proud of what we accomplished this season, despite all the injuries. I'm proud of how, despite all the injuries and unfavourable Playoff scheduling, we made no excuses and just played basketball.

Basketball is fun. Losing isn't. Yes, we lost the Western Conference Finals 4-2 to the Lakers. And yes, we're definitely disappointed and dejected. Maybe we even wonder what the outcome of the series might've been had we had a healthy Sam Cassell in the line-up -- or had we had Troy Hudson with us. But we gave it our all. We missed a lot of shots tonight, but the effort was there. When KG was on the bench, we looked really out of sync without a true point guard. The 19 turnovers were telling. But despite all that, we were right there, toe-to-toe with the Lakers. Sprewell played his heart out again. Cutting, slashing, running, getting to the line 11 times -- other than not shooting a particular good percentage from the floor, Spree really did everything we could ever ask him to do. Hassell did a great job on Kobe. Our center-by-committee held Shaq in check, relatively speaking.

And then there was KG, who once again was asked to do everything: Run the point, set up teammates, post up, score, rebound, defend. Everything. KG got in early foul trouble, and fouled out by the end of the night (three of his six fouls were offensive fouls). Despite that, Garnett had a strong game with 22 points, 17 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal. His 8 turnovers (three of which were those offensive fouls) were costly, though.

We came out in the first quarter flat. And with KG on the bench with two fouls, the Lakers built a 13 point lead. I think that's where we lost the game. Had we not been down by that much, and had KG been on the floor, we would have had a much larger lead by the end of the third quarter. And we would have been able to weather that killer scoring barrage by the Lakers in the fourth quarter, especially Kareem Rush's 3-pointers.

We fought hard, though. Gave it our best. No regrets.

I'm really proud to be a Minnesota Timberwolves fan. And I'm even more proud to be a Kevin Garnett fan. Much thanks and respect for a joyous season. It's been a season of firsts, accomplishments, and achievements:

• We finished the regular season with a franchise best 58-24 record
• We won our first ever Midwest Division title
• For the first time ever, we were the top seed in the hyper-competitive Western Conference
• We weathered all the injuries to key players throughout the season
• Sam Cassell made the All-Star team for the first time in his career
• Kevin Garnett had his fifth consecutive 20-10-5 season
• Kevin Garnett won his first MVP award
• We won our first ever Playoff series, beating the Nuggets in five, and finally got the damn monkey off our backs
• We learned how to bounce back in a series despite losing Game 1 against the Kings
• We experienced our first ever Game 7, and won it with KG carrying us on his back
• We got to the Western Conference Finals for the first time, and won 2 games without Sam Cassell

If you really think about it, it's been the best year of Timberwolves basketball. And as a fan who's watched this team through the years -- through all the disappointments, all the tragedy, all the first round exits -- I am really proud.

And so, our season has ended. But our quest has not. Our ultimate goal is to win championships. This year, we were just a Troy Hudson away from reaching the Finals. We were one quarter away from forcing that decicive Game 7, and were just seven points short from pushing the Lakers to the brink -- a Laker team that had absolutely no respect for us, a Laker team that had four future hall-of-famers, two of which took the easy route in hopes of getting that elusive ring.

But I couldn't care less about the Los Angeles Lakers. I care about the Minnesota Timberwolves, who as a franchise took a quantum leap this year. I care about Kevin Garnett, whose loyalty and dedication to the game -- and to his teammates, to the organization, to his fans, to himself -- continue to write the book of his legacy. And that book is far from finished. We're looking to bigger and better things next season. We'll be back.

Yeah dogg. We'll be back.

Sunday, May 30, 2004, 12:30am ET ----- Wolf Ticket, Wolf Ticket

I'm goin' goin', back back, to Cali Cali.

So go the words in Biggie's song, swimming around in my head. And so go the Minnesota Timberwolves, who refused to let their season end tonight. Despite coming out flat and tight in the first quarter, KG and company stormed back in the second quarter and built a lead. We won the game 98-96 to extend this best-of-seven series.

It was a difficult game ... even when we had a sizeable lead. Suzy Shuster of NBATV was right in saying that neither team had control tonight. Even with our 16 points lead at one point in the fourth quarter, the Lakers were just a run away from making it a dogfight for us.

And a dogfight we got.

Kobe hit consecutive baskets, Fisher made a couple of big shots, Shaq had a three-point play -- and before we knew it, it was a five point game with 10 seconds to go. But we held on.

This really was an exciting game. Kevin Garnett brought his "A" game, scoring 30 points, pulling 19 rebounds, and handing out 4 assists. Very importantly, he got to the freethrow line 11 times and hit 10 of them. He was very aggressive, driving and spinning into the lane. In addition to his duty in the post, he played a lot of point guard tonight, bringing the ball up and setting guys up. He also guarded everyone from Shaq to Kobe to Fisher. It amazes me how much energy and how much resolve he has. I guess as a leader, as the MVP, that's what he had to do -- especially with Sam in (pink?) street-clothes.

Latrell Sprewell played his best game in the five games of this series so far, scoring 28 points. I love it when he has his running game goin'. We need his slashing and cutting. Fred Hoiberg also played his best game, scoring 14 points -- including that huge three-point play after the Lakers had cut our lead to six. Mad Dog grabbed some big rebounds for us, and scored some much-needed hustle points. Wally also gave us some boost off the bench. Hassell did a good job on Kobe. It really was a team effort. We took much better care of the ball -- only five turnovers. We got to the line 32 times, and made 26 of them.

There are a couple of things we need to do better in Game 6 on Monday. First of all, we can't let the Lakers shoot 50%. That's a big no-no, especially when we only shot 44% ourselves. Our defence must be tightened (although we actually did a good job on Shaq tonight). And secondly, we need to move the ball better and get more assisted baskets -- 14 assists on 35 made field goals ain't good. A big reason why we survived tonight was because our jumpshots were falling. We would've been in serious trouble if we weren't hitting those shots. So we need to move the ball better and continue to attack the basket. And finally, we gotta stop Lakers runs at all costs. They beat us in Games 1, 3, and 4 by going on runs. They had a 10-0 run tonight that almost did us in. I like how Flip uses those timeouts. Flip's a very good coach.

So, we're still alive. Feels good. But Game 6 is in LA, and that's not an easy place to play. I'm looking for another MVP-caliber performance from Garnett. And I hope Spree, Wally, Freddy, Mad Dog, Hassell, and hell, even Kandi, play the way we know they can. If we win Game 6, we force Game 7, where anything can happen. So let's go into Staples Center and earn that seventh game.

Losing is easy. Winning is hard. So we're gonna win.

Saturday, May 29, 2004, 11:42am ET ----- Go Timberwolves

Game 5 is tonight. Patricks Reusse of Star Tribune wrote this nice article published this morning: A Night to Give Thanks to KG. It's a feel-good article and everything, but I refuse to even think about us losing tonight. It ain't over till it's over, and I will always believe in a Kevin Garnett team.

It's true that we've got a big hole to climb out of if we want to win this series. But instead of thinking, "We've gotta win three in row against the Lakers," we should say to ourselves: "We just gotta win one in a row three times."

That sounds better.

In other words, take it one game at a time. We haven't lost three straight games all season, and there's no reason to think we're gonna lose tonight. The Target Center crowd is gonna be amped up. KG's gonna bring his will and his fight.

We will win Game 5. Or die trying.

Friday, May 28, 2004, 9:33pm ET ----- It's do or die now

Another loss. Down 3-1. And now we face elimination. It's frustrating simply because we're not at full strength. Sam Cassell is our floor general, and his back is so messed up he's not even on the floor. You take out Sam Cassell, and we have a Timberwolves team that seems out of sync at times. We're not an elite team without Sam Cassell.

Yeah that's right. Without Sam Cassell, this Timberwolves squad is not better than last year's. You look at our acquisitions during the off-season ... Sprewell is playing OK in this series. That's it. Sam is hurt, so we can't blame him. Ervin Johnson is decent in his role: Get loose balls, rebound, foul Shaq. Olowokandi is a bust -- I don't even know what he's doing anymore. I wince every time I see him shoot: "No, don't shoot that; that ain't your shot." In fact, no shot is Kandi's shot. Flip certainly didn't put him in the lineup for his offensive prowess. We need him for his rebounding and shot-blocking. Please don't shoot anymore. Just give the ball to Kevin, get the hell out of the way, and go box-out.

Wally is playing well, though his shooting percentage is poor. We need more than Wally to beat the Lakers. Much more. We need to stop Kobe from going off in the second half. We need to NOT give them three-point plays. We need to NOT get out-rebounded by double-digits. We need to shoot much better than 38%. We need to move the ball better. We need ... Sam.

Kevin Garnett is doing his best. I look at him, and I think to myself, "Boy's playing his hardest ... he can't do much more than what he's already doing." Check this: 28 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 block, 1 steal in Game 4 is very excellent. He played all but 30 seconds, and still shot 50%. He gave it his all.

Needless to say, we must win tomorrow. It's do or die now, with our backs against the wall. And we ain't gonna lay down. Never.

Never quit.

Wednesday, May 26, 2004, 11:30am ET ----- Back to the drawing board

We lost Game 3 last night, 89-100. And it clearly wasn't our best performance, especially on the defensive end. Hell, we can't let the Lakers shoot 51.5% and let them have 29 assists on 34 made field goals -- or we're gonna get whooped. We were down by as much as 17 points in the fourth quarter, but made a nice comeback with a couple of 3-pointers (even KG hit one). But it wasn't enough as we were running short on time. I also didn't like the way the game was officiated at times. I watched the post game press conference, and Flip made a point I agree with: They are undercutting Garnett on his jumpers.

It works like this for KG: He catches the ball in the post -- not the low post -- with his back to the defender, usually Malone. As he surveys the court and begins his dribble, an extra defender(s) runs at him. Sometimes KG would pass it to the open man, in which case he doesn't even get a shot. Other times, he fakes one way, and spins into the baseline, and rises up for a turnaround jumper. This is where Malone puts his arms into KG's hips or abdomen. That's undercutting. People do that to Garnett because there's no way for them to block his shot.

KG couldn't get inside position all night. Karl Malone is as physical as they come, and he is clearly stronger than Garnett. So Garnett has trouble backing him down. And if KG does drive into the lane against the swarm of double- and triple-teams, there some guy named Shaq waiting for him. I hear Shaq is a pretty big dude. So KG winds up shooting that turnaround jumper. It goes in half the time, since that's his shot, but he's not getting to the line. And if he misses that shot, he's not in a position to rebound -- meaning that's now a Lakers possession.

Which brings me to another point: Rebounds. Garnett is averaging a mere 10.7 rebounds in the three games this series. That's a far cry from the 14.8 and the 15.4 he averaged in the Denver and the Sacramento series, respectively. Again, he's not getting inside position ... simply because of the physicality of Malone and O'Neal, who stuff the lane and can bump him off all night.

Anyway, it ain't like KG had a bad game or anything -- 22 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists is not bad at all. But he had 0 blocks and 0 assists, not to mention 4 turnovers and 6 fouls. He fouled out ... and this is after getting no fouls in Game 2. Our entire team was called for 36 fouls, while the Lakers only got whistled for 19 -- and Flip only resorted to the Hack-a-Shaq a few times in the fourth quarter -- [so insert your favourite referee criticism here]. Sam's really an inspiration. The guy's a warrior. Wally played great -- we're gonna need his outside shooting in this series.

Game 4 is a must, must, must win. If we win tomorrow, we take back homecourt advantage and swing the momentum in our direction (well sort of ... every little bit counts, right?). We need to come out aggressive and move the ball. We only had 19 assists in Game 3, and the Lakers had 29. Everything needs to run through Garnett. He's gotta touch the ball on every possession. I certainly don't mind when KG plays the point guard, since he's good at it, and it forces Malone to come out and guard him. But it's not good if he's forced to bring the ball up all time time. Hell, we need his energy in the post, and on the defensive end. Leave most of the the ball-handling to Sam or Darrick ... or Spree.

This is where we really miss Troy Hudson.

Sunday, May 23, 2004, 11:11pm ET ----- That's much better

Hey we played crisp basketball tonight, winning 98-71 to even the series at 1-1. We took care of the ball, executed, and moved the ball with great precision. Our defence tonight was also tremendous. It's amazing that we limited Shaq to only 10 shots. KG was his MVP self again, finishing with 24 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and 2 steals. I really think KG has perfected that fadeaway jumper -- almost reminscent of Michael Jordan. He would post up, fake one way, spin the other way, rise up, lean back, and shoot it. This one play tonight, he actually faked and spun into the defender, but still hit the basket. He shot the ball well (10-20 for 50%), and made some big buckets to push the lead.

Just when the Lakers made their run near the end of the third quarter, cutting it down to nine, KG hit a desperation 3-pointer to conclude the quarter. On the play near the perimeter, Malone had knocked the ball away from KG. But Malone slipped as Garnett recovered the ball. And KG went up, hit the three, turned around, pumped his fist, and spat "muthafucker."

That's exactly the type of intensity we needed because Sam only lasted 40 seconds tonight -- his back was just in too much pain. I gotta give him props for giving it a go tonight. It's good that we got the win, and that Sam is able to rest for a few days. Darrick was a major boost for us. We definitely needed him to play the point because we can't have KG do it all the time. It's not a good idea for KG to bring the ball up, set a screen, and post-up down low. Garnett already expends so much energy on both offence and defence, we need to relieve him as much as possible.

Other players stepped up, too. Spree was terrific again with his slashing game. Wally, who scored 16 points off the bench, seems to have gotten his rhythm back. Mad Dog was all over the offensive boards, and did his best on Shaq. As did Ervin. We need all our big men to hold down Shaq. And they did that in Game 2.

So, Game 3 is Tuesday night in LA. What we need to do is to set the tone early and take the crowd out of the game. But the most important thing is to take care of the ball like we did tonight, execute, close out quarters, contest every shot, rotate, and stay aggressive. If we continue to do all those things, we'll be in a good position to beat the Lakers.

Saturday, May 22, 2004, 12:51am ET ----- No time to rest now

Tough game. The Lakers are clearly a formidable opponent for us. We really can't afford to turn the ball over ... they'll just chew us up. Some people say the Timberwolves must be tired after the short turn-around time since Game 7 on Wednesday, but I didn't think so. We looked pretty sharp from the get-go, and played well offensively in the first quarter. But we got sloppy in the second quarter and turned it over eight times. Damn, we just can't do that against this experienced Lakers squad.

KG had a quiet game -- 16 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals -- mostly because he was double-teamed constantly. Everytime he caught the ball, there are extra defenders running at him. Everytime he put the ball on the floor, there's limited space. Latrell played great. Kandi finally had a decent game. Sam is really hurting, with his back tightening up after prolonged stretches on the bench. And because of that, he wasn't even on the floor at crunch-time.

We really had no answer for Shaq. I mean, we have 24 fouls to spare -- shared amongst Madsen, Johnson, Kandi, and Oliver Miller -- but Shaq made his freethrows tonight. The guy shooting in the 30% range during the Playoffs ... why does he have to start making 'em now?

Other than the turnovers, it wasn't like we played poorly or anything. The game was tied at 67 in the third quarter. But then the Lakers ran off 11 straight points (three consecutive three pointers plus another basket) to end the quarter. In the fourth period, we battled back to within two points, but they just made some big shots.

So once again, we dropped Game 1 and lost homecourt advantage. But at least we know how to bounce back. One great thing about going deep into the Playoffs is that you gain lots of experience quickly. So we'll study some film, make some adjustments, and come out ready for Game 2, which is on Sunday night. It's a must win for us. Double-teams or not, Kevin needs to have a bigger game and get to the foul line more. I'm not saying he should force things, but he should be able to draw some fouls on Malone.

And one more thing: I don't think we should view ourselves as underdogs in this series. The media ain't giving us much of a chance, but we shouldn't even listen to that crap. We know damn well that we can hang with this Lakers team. Hell, we're the number one seed. And we should come out and play like it.

Wednesday, May 19, 2004, 11:41pm ET ----- His gift

First of all, happy 28th birthday to Kevin Garnett. My dogg got one hell of a gift, eh? Y'all know what -- I think Timberwolves fans around the world all got one hell of a gift tonight. Hell yeah, we're sharing this one. And we can't stop smilin'.

In the most important game in Timberwolves franchise history -- a Game 7, win or go home, end the season or extend the season, face the looming Lakers or face the long summer -- Timberwolves pulled through in an intense 83-80 victory. I watched the entire game with an anxious heart, and as you know ... it was a gamut of emotions:

I was pleased with our early lead.
I was nervous when the Kings made their run.
I was furious when we got sloppy and lost the lead.
I was proud when we regained the lead.
I was excited when Garnett made that three.
I was hopeful when we seemed to be in complete control.
I was disappointed when Sam lost the ball on a dribble.
I was stunned when Christie made that three.
I was relieved when Webber missed the final shot.

If you didn't feel any of that, then you ain't no Timberwolves fan. Damn, no lead is safe when you play a team like the Kings -- you just knew they were gonna make a run.That was one heck of a game. Sam came up huge for us, despite an ailing back, scoring 23 points and dishing out 7 assists. Spree had his moments as he sprinted the open floor and attacked the Kings defence. Wally (welcome back, dude) scored 10 points and gave us a tremendous, much needed boost off the bench.

And then there's Kevin.

Garnett played the game of his life, finishing with 32 points, 21 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 blocks, 4 steals, and just 2 turnovers. He shot 12-23, and went to the line 11 times. Playing all but two minutes of the game, KG busted his butt and showcased his entire repertoire: jumpers, fadeaways, baby hooks, finger rolls, spins, drives, crossovers (you saw it...), dunks, three-pointers, rebounds, blocks, steals. KG was everywhere, and it was almost as if his versatility was oozing out of his pores. He was determined to win. And he was trying so hard. For all the critics out there who ever said Garnett was not a clutch player, or that he couldn't take over games: This one's for you. Now eat your words.

In a game of insane magnitude and pressure, under heavy media scrutiny, Kevin Garnett showed everyone who he is. He is the hungry defender. He is the vicious shotblocker. He is the world's tallest point guard with the meanest crossover ever done by a 7-footer. He is the clutch-baller when it counts. He is the leader, the heart and soul of the Minnesota Timberwolves. He is The Big Ticket. He is the MVP.

He is Kevin Maurice Garnett. And it's his birthday today.

Monday, May 17, 2004, 11:20am ET ----- It's come down to this

AP and KG? AP and KG?? This series has turned ugly ever since what happened with Brad Miller and Darrick Martin in Game 5 (That Miller is really gettin' on my nerves -- sticking your sweaty palm into KG's face is not real defence). But AP and KG? The two former teammates and [hopefully still] friends traded elbows during the final seconds of the third quarter of Game 6 at Arco on Sunday May 16. On a Timberwolves possession, Peeler swung his elbow into the abdomen of Garnett, sending KG to the floor. Garnett remained on the floor, grimacing and hurting, until the Timberwolves' next posession, where he retaliated by delivering a elbow to Peeler's chest. Peeler immediately elbowed KG's jaw. Garnett did not retaliate further as the two players were separated. Both players received technicals, and Peeler was ejected, while Garnett was called for a flagrant foul.

At first, I didn't see how KG got knocked down. All I saw was the Kings running on offence, and KG rolling on the floor back at the other end. I remember thinking, "Uh oh, is he injured? Is he hurt?" When the Kings scored on offence, and when everyone returned to this end of the court, KG slowly got to his feet. And then it happened. I saw Peeler swung hard at Garnett face, and I was like, "Ohh, what!?" And after watching the ABC replays, I saw Peeler's elbow was an immediate retaliation to KG, who shoved an elbow into Peeler's chest after finally standing up. But the replays also showed how KG ended up on the floor in the first place: Peeler had elbowed KG in the abdomen, effectively knocking the wind out of him, and sent him reeling.

And as Peeler's elbow to KG's jaw connected, KG pulled back, hopping and raising his fists. It was quite impressive that he controlled his anger and didn't further retaliate. And quite smart, too. Had he thrown a punch in the heat of the moment, he would surely have been suspended for the ultimate Game 7. Peeler will likely be suspended, but nothing official has been announced yet.

After the game, Peeler claimed that KG had elbowed him first -- two plays before he sent KG on the floor: "It was retaliation on my part. The guy who gets the call is the last guy who takes the blow ... He hit me. My head went up. I told KG, he's not going to hit me in the throat. It takes two to fight."

KG responded with this: "I hit him in the throat? When the hell have I had a chance to hit AP in the throat? Every time I set a pick on him, it's on the baseline."

Well fine, we ain't gonna linger on that no more. Hell, we got a Game 7 to play. This is what we get when we play sloppy on the road. Now our backs are as much as against the wall as theirs are. It'll be the first Game 7 in franchise history ... and the first time we're facing elimination this year. It's almost scary to think about. Throughout the past seven years, our records when facing elimination aren't so good: 2-7.

Game 7 on Wednesday will be played -- thankfully -- at the Target Center. This is the homecourt advantage we've worked all year to get. We had better put it to good use. We're still not playing our best basketball, or good basketball, even. Why are we still turning the ball over? Why are we still not getting to the line? Why are we still giving up layups and open threes? And why is Olowokandi struggling so much?

KG is doing his best against the double- and triple-teams. Sam's back is really hurting, and his mobility is really limited. When you see Sam Cassell miss a couple of freethrows, you realize something's wrong. Wally played well in Game 6, but he's still trying to get his rhythm back. Kandi has long disappeared.

Game 7 will be our moment of truth. Our entire season comes down to this. It will be the most important game of franchise history. No question. And how will we respond to the pressure? How will we bounce back from a miserable Game 6? How will we write our own history?

I guess we'll see.

So Wednesday, then. And on the day when Kevin Maurice Garnett turns 28, beating the Kings will be the perfect birthday gift. Go Timberwolves.

Saturday, May 15, 2004, 1:30am ET ----- Scoring Spree

Alright! With tonight's Game 5 win, we now lead the series 3-2. TNT's first game tonight was Game 5 between the Pistons and Nets, a game that went triple overtime, cutting significally into the the Wolves-Kings game. By the time the Pistons and Nets were done, it was already halftime for us. So for those of us who don't have NBATV, viewers at home missed the entire first half action. So while I watched the Pistons-Nets marathon, I kept an eye on NBA.com to follow the Timberwolves. Of course, the hero tonight is Latrell Sprewell, who exploded for 34 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. He was on fire, hitting 13 for 21. KG himself had a nice game, finishing with 23 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals. Turnover was still a problem, though. He's really gotta cut down the turnovers. But I ain't worried about KG; he knows how to make adjustments.

Sam had an off night, got into foul trouble early. And I think he fought with back spasms for much of the night. But I know what the Big Three means to this team: If one guy has an off night, the other two can pick him up -- as KG and Spree did tonight. As for our role players -- I can't say enough good things about Fred Hoiberg and Mark Madsen. They have a real identity on this team, and they've done really well playing off the Big Three. We all saw tonight how the Kings continue to swarm KG with double- and triple-teams. So when KG needs to kick it out, it's great to have Freddy there to knock down those open threes.

We need one more to advance. We gotta go into Arco on Sunday, and close the series right there. It's nice to know we still got homecourt advantage if the series does go seven ... but we want to avoid that seventh game. The Kings are wounded now, and their backs are against the wall. This is our best shot right here to finish them off.

Let's go win on Sunday.

Tuesday, May 11, 2004, 6:30pm ET ----- Point God

If Game 2 was a thriller, Game 3 was a killer. Yesterday's game was off the charts in terms of suspense and drama. Almost too much drama. The Timberwolves took back homecourt advantage with a 114-113 overtime win in Game 3, and now lead the series 2-1. We blew a 15 point lead in the fourth quarter, and nearly threw the game away. Even though we took care of the ball for most of the game, those few costly mistakes down the stretch really hurt us. But give the Kings credit -- they made some huge three-point shots to get back into this game. It was scary what they did.

Whew ... we won it at the end, though. Trenton Hassell played great defence throughout the game, so he was great for us. And when Sam got into foul trouble, Kevin Garnett once again assumed the position as the world's tallest point guard.

Naw. Point God.

KG showed just why he's MVP by stuffing the boxscore with 30 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 blocks, 3 steals. He scored 15 points in the fourth quarter and overtime combined. He calmly sank all his freethrows down the stretch and nailed a huge shot to put the Timberwolves up by three with about 10 seconds to go in OT. Replays of the shot showed Garnett glancing at the shotclock down the opposite end of the court, collected himself, spun around, and made a super-tough shot. He was clearly fouled as he went up, but the refs didn't call it.

Oh, and contrary to the referee's call, Garnett didn't travel on the final play. He slipped and fell, yes. But that's not a travel. It's only a travel if you get up, or if your feet touch the ground. KG kept his legs off the ground, and he didn't get up. That shouldn't have been a travelling call at all.

Game 4 is tomorrow night at Arco. We haven't lost at Arco this season, so we should remain confident and poised. Let's do this.

Sunday, May 9, 2004, 1:17am ET ----- And the most amazing thing happened

I swear, Game 2 will rank right up there as one of the most thrilling nail-biters in Timberwolves Playoff history -- along with last year's insane overtime win against the Lakers in Round 1 Game 3. Just an hour ago, KG and the Timberwolves staged a crazy comeback win. With just under six minutes left in the fourth quarter, we were trailing by six. I remember thinking to myself, "Our entire season could be boiled down to the next six minutes." And with four minutes left in the game, we were suddenly down by 10 points -- 78-88. I was stunned, and very, very uneasy. I was immediately reminded of all of our Playoff losses in past years. Images of disappointment and frustration flood back to me. It didn't matter that we made it to Round 2. Losing is still losing. And it always hurts.

But we didn't lose.

The Timberwolves went on a 13-0 run -- and suddenly led the game 91-88 with 24 seconds to go -- and ended the final four minutes of the game with a 16-1 run. It's almost surreal. Sam Cassell ... I just don't have the words for what he did for us. I'm speechless. And I'm a Cassell fan for life. But our miracle run wasn't just made possible by Sam. Fred Hoiberg was awesome, grabbing a vital rebound near the end and sinking two freethrows to ice the game. Spree and Hassell were also huge for us throughout the game. I'm a little surprised that Flip didn't play Madsen tonight, but I saw the Mad Dog cheering the team on as he prowled the bench. He was very enthused and fired up. And KG bounced back from a mediocre Game 1 performance with 28 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 6 blocks, and 1 steal. He was very aggressive, and got to the line 14 times (and made 12). He also shot much better, making half of his 16 field goal attempts.

Thank goodness we won this game. We would've been in an 0-2 ditch had we lost this game. And for those few minutes in the mid-fourth quarter, it almost seemed like we weren't going to make it. It's a gutsy win. I'm relieved. But lest we forget, we're heading into the Arco Arena on Monday. That place is gonna be loud. We are the only team in the NBA this season to win two games in Sacramento, so we should have confidence.

I'm going to bed now. That's enough excitment for one day. See y'all later.

Wednesday, May 5, 2004, 1:20am ET ----- Costly turnovers.

That was an intense game. We were right there, made our runs, and were in a great position to win the game. But Sacto made some big shots down the stretch, and iced it with freethrows. We lost Game 1 104-98, and lost homecourt advantage. KG, who was presented with the MVP trophy by the commissioner before tip-off, struggled with his shot most of the night, going 6-21. He was swarmed by double-teams everytime he touched the ball, and he turned it over six times. He did pulled down 18 rebounds and dished out seven assists, but obviously it wasn't his best overall performance. All in all, I think we lost the game in two areas: Too many turnovers and not getting to the freethrow line enough. We turned it over 18 times, and only got to the line 12 times. The Kings only had nine turnovers, and shot 35 freethrows. I must say, though ... there were some questionable calls by the refs. We did do some things well in the game: Sam had another monster night, scoring 40 points again and single-handedly kept us within striking distance. We controlled the glass, and also got our role players -- Madsen, Hoiberg, Hassell, Ervin -- involved. So it wasn't like we stunk. We'd better build off of what we did right, correct what we did wrong, and bounce back to win Game 2, which is on Saturday. Nobody panic.

Monday, May 3, 2004, 3:40pm ET ----- MVP. Finally.

No surprise here -- it's only fitting. The report leaked out yesterday, and after weeks (hell, months) of non-suspense, Kevin Garnett was officially named the MVP of the 2003-2004 season. The announcement came moments ago, and I'm not surprised at all. KG has been leading the MVP race since early December, separating himself from the pack. The only thing that shocked me was that it wasn't unanimous -- KG received 120 out of 123 first place votes from the panel of sportswriters/broadcasters. But it doesn't matter, as there will always be haters and idiots. The important thing is that Garnett is finally the league MVP, something many thought he should have also won last year.

David Stern will be at the Target Center tomorrow night before the Timberwolves and Kings square off for Game 1. He'll present KG with the Maurice Padoloff Trophy. Timberwoles.com urges fans to "arrive early for the game to witness this historics event in Minnesota sports history." So go if you can! I wish I could be there...

Garnett's individual brilliance this year is a jaw-dropper, as he led the league in efficiency rating while averaging 24.2 points, 13.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.17 blocks, and 1.46 steals -- with career highs in points, rebounds, and blocks. And with those numbers, he joins Larry Bird as the only two players in history to average at least 20-10-5 for five straight seasons. Garnett also led the league in total points scored and total rebounds ripped, the fifth player in league history to that, and is something no one has done in 29 years. His 71 double-doubles beat his own 69 of last year, and is the most since Hakeem Olajuwon's 72 during the 1992-1993 season. He shot the ball well from the field (49.9%), and stellar from the line (79.1%), and his turnover was the lowest in six years. KG was named player-of-the months four times this year, as well as three months in a row (December, January, February) -- both feats are a record. Just the other week, KG was also named to the All-NBA First team, and the All-Defensive team.

What a sick beast.

A passionate, intense, respected leader on the court, and a personable, cool, likeable role model off the court, Garnett played all 82 games for the second year in a row, leading the Timberwolves to a West leading, and franchise-best, 58 wins. He jelled quickly with his new teammates -- Sam, Spree, Kandi, Ervin, Madsen, Hoibert, Hassell -- as the Timberwolves now have their best chance at advancing deep into the Playoffs.

I'm sure KG will appreciate this award and recognition, something he's wanted ever since he entered the league: To be the best player in the league. But he'll be the first to remind us that this is a team game. And that winning the championship is the ultimate goal.

Sunday, May 2, 2004 ----- Most Valuable Person

Well Timberwolves fans. It's been about 36 hours since KG and company eliminated the Nuggets. The celebration has ended, and everyone is now looking hard at the Kings, our Round 2 opponent. Game 1 will be on Tuesday at the Target Center, and the Timberwolves -- who had yesterday off -- have begun preparation today. We ain't satisfied with getting past the first round. We are the top seed. We want the championship. Getting through the first round was just one step, and now we're demanding bigger and better things.

There is a terrific article -- KG: A Mysterious, Valuable Player -- today coming out of Star Tribune. Terry Collins And Curt Brown talk about Kevin Garnett as a player and as a person. The explosive, expressive, demonstrative leader on the court contrasted with the quiet, introverted, thoughtful individual off the court. KG keeps his private life private. "My on-the-court stuff, I let you guys in there," Garnett told a reporter. "But my off-the-court stuff is different. It's private and very dear to my heart."

His fiancee Brandi Padilla -- the two are to be married this summer -- is very dear to his heart. The OBF is very dear to his heart. Michael Mason, the kid Garnett took under his wings, is very dear to his heart. His nine dogs -- five Rottweilers, two pitbulls, and two mastiffs -- are very dear to his heart. His community work, his 13,000-square-foot estate in Orono, and his earrings are also very dear to his heart.

It's may be surprising to hear that the Kevin Garnett with a vicious scowl -- or a big electric smile -- on the basketball court is the same Kevin Garnett as the one who politely asks for a chair for an interview -- "if it's not too much trouble." The same Garnett who quietly hosts Christmas parties for disadvantaged kids. And the same Garnett who set up 4XL, which connects minority students with business leaders and opportunities.

And so, the MVP-to-be is also an MVP -- a most valuable person. Lest we forget, basketball is just one side of Garnett's life. And like for the rest of us, life is so much more.

Saturday, May 1, 2004 ----- Thank goodness for RaptorsTV

Seven years baby. Finally! Just an hour ago, the Timberwolves put the finishing touches on the series against Denver, and won 102-91 to clinch the franchise's first ever Playoff series win. I can't really describe how good this feels, and what it means to me. For the past seven years, I had watch them get bounced. And I remember all those moments of sitting dejectedly in front of the tv, on the couch, being frustrated, empty, and stunned. I remember thinking, "Aw they'll be back" in 1997 against the Rockets. I remember thinking, "Damn we almost did it" in 1998 against the Sonics. I remember thinking, "We fought hard" in 1999 against the Spurs. I remember thinking, "Not again" in 2000 against the Blazers. I remember thinking, "That's five years..." in 2001 against the Spurs. I remember thinking, "I hate Dallas, screw 'em" in 2002 against the Mavericks. I remember thinking, "We had 'em, but..." in 2003 against the Lakers. I remember feeling disappointed all those years, yet still feeling proud of the team. Yet still inspired by KG and how he plays the game.

Seven years...

And here we are. 2004. We made it through Round One. As I watched the final minutes of Game 5, it felt almost surreal, as if it really hadn't sunk in. As if I'm dreaming. But I know I'm not. I know I'll go to sleep later, wake up later this morning, and realize that we're now in uncharted territory. We're in Round Two. (Jump up and shout!) Finally. The monkey's off our backs. It was a big monkey. A silverback. Good riddance.

I know it's just one Playoff series win. Just one step. I know the Kings are staring at us straight in the eyes. I know the Lakers-Spurs are looming int the distance, and we'll have to hurdle the Kings to get there. It's a huge challenge, and it doesn't get any easier from here. But no one deserves to savour this more than us because no one else went through what we went through. So This is our moment to enjoy.

Kevin Garnett said this series victory was not just for himself, not just for Sam. But it was for the fans, for the people who supported KG, for everybody who feel him right now. For everybody. Him. You. Me. Us.

P.S. Thanks dad. For you, too.

Thurs, Apr 29, 2004
Temper is flaring in this series. Spree and Jon Barry jawing with each other. Garnett fighting with the physical play of the Nuggets thugs. And of course, Carmelo Anthony yapping at the mouth. Anthony said, "Friday [Game 5] will be the big game for us. They might have to bring a lot of security to that game. There'll be some punches thrown." You have got to be kidding me. The Nuggets had better not try anything. They've been trying to rough up KG and Sam throughout the series, maybe even trying to hurt Kevin. The league had better keep a close eye on the theatrics of the Nuggets. The Denver media has also been adding fanning the fire, calling the Wolves poseurs, Wolves in sheep clothing, sheepish, and Timberpuppies. That's some garbage journalism right there. Made me laugh.

The Nuggets sure talk big. Yappin' their mouths. The thin air up there must have screwed up their heads. And someone should slap some sense into Francisco Elson, who called Garnett "gay." What an idiot. The beef between Elson and Garnett probably dates back to Game 3. As Elson passsed the Timberwolves' parked bus after Game 3, Garnett got off the bus and confronted him, asking multiple times, "You got words?" Nothing further happened as Flip pulled KG back.

Game 5 is tomorrow. Let's finish this.

Tues, Apr 27, 2004
Yeah yeah, I know we got whooped big time in Game 3. I know KG was peeved, judging by that famous laser glare of his. And I know Wally's out for the series. But dammit, we can't hang our heads. We're still up 2-1, with a great chance to go back to the Target Center 3-1. Game 4 is on right now as I type this. Sadly, I don't get to see it ... Sportsnet, for some idiotic reason, decided not to telecast these latter games of Round One, opting instead for baseball and their nightly sports -- ahem, coughhockeycough -- news. Not only that, the past week's Round One coverage has been terrible. Baseball always cuts into basketball time. And Sportsnet "joins" Round One games "already in progress" after baseball finishes. That's disrespect to basketball. Somebody oughtta write these punks a letter, tell them to get their heads checked. Who the hell cares about baseball? I wanna watch my Timberwolves. I'm so mad.

Anyway, as I type this ... the Timberwolves are down 24-31 in the second quarter (I'm following the game via live-stats on nba.com as well as espn.com's NBA Gamecast live). Kevin sat on the bench for three minutes, and they're killin' us already. Oh man, get it together -- don't screw this up. Don't even think about it.

Edit: Alright, we won. We escaped with an 84-82 win, with the golden chance to close out the series on Friday at the Target Center. I can go to bed now. Talk about a heart attack.

Thurs, Apr 22, 2004
Yes! We're halfway there to our first ever Playoff series victory! Just over an hour ago, we thrashed the Nuggets in Game 2 of this best-of-seven series 95-81. We now lead the series 2-0, and it's the first time in franchise history we're up two games in a Playoff series. Kevin Garnett didn't shoot the ball very well, but he had a terrific all-around game, finishing with his third career Playoff triple-double: 20 points, 22 rebounds, 10 assists, as well as 3 blocks and 1 steal. What a beast. The 22 rebounds is his Playoff career high, and is also a Minnesota franchise Playoff high. He now has 42 rebounds in two games. Wow. Sam Cassell chipped in with 12 points and 9 assists. And Latrell was the gem for us tonight, scoring 31 points, hitting seven of eight 3-pointers. Kandi was great for us, hitting some key buckets early on. Wally also hit some big shots. And Hassell did a wonderful defensive job on Carmelo. All in all, it was a great team effort, as our defence suffocated the Nuggets into a nine-point second quarter. Thus despite our poor shooting, especially in the third quarter, we maintained a double-digit lead and led by as much as 20. And as the series moves to the Pepsi Center in Denver -- with that high altitude and thin air -- we need to stay sharp and not get complacent. It's mad cool to be up 2-0, but we need to be careful with this Nuggets team. Game 3 is in another three days (on Saturday night), so we can rest up and prepare for it. I [sic] so happy.

Sun, Apr 18, 2004
Yeah boy, just moments ago, the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets 106-92 to take a 1-0 series lead. And for the first time ever, we've won a Game 1! Finally! Despite being in foul trouble in the fourth quarter, KG was incredible with 30 points, 20 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal. But the hero of the night was undoubtedly Sam Cassell! Oh man, he was on fire, scoring a Playoff career-high (and tying his personal career-high) 40 points on 16-24 shooting. He just made shot after shot, giving us so much momentum and energy. This is exactly what we were missing in years past, someone like him to help KG with the load. Sam is the MAN right here. Latrell also made some huge plays and defensive stops, while scoring 11 points of his own. I must say, it feels good to win like this. But obviously, this is just one win -- we need to win four to advance. And since this is the Playoffs, you know Denver will make adjustments for Game 2 on Wednesday. We have to be ready :)