Wolves update

The Timberwolves are now on a four game winning streak and they are pulling themselves up the Western Conference standings. The winning streak started when the old leather ball came back (Jan. 1st) and has continued all the way through the week. The wins have been impressive. The Bobcats win was huge. The team got down early and found themselves in a 20 point hole but never gave up. They stuck together and pulled out of it. Garnett came up clutch and the team won the game. That was a huge game.

The next game was against the San Antoino Spurs at Target Center. Many fans came into the game with little expectations but the Wolves matched everything the Spurs did. The Wolves actually lead the majority of the game. Everytime the Spurs started a run the Wolves would answer. Trenton Hassell played very well and so did Kevin Garnett. I thought Foye did a great job against the trap that the Spurs tried to put on later in the game. The Wolves ended up winning the game in overtime but the biggest bucket came with about 45 seconds left in the 4th quarter. The Wolves were down by one and Garnett faced up Duncan, drove to the middle of the floor and hit the bucket with the foul. That was the second game in a row where Garnett was clutch.

The third game was against Philadelphia at Target Center. The Sixers were obviously without Allen Iverson and Chris Webber. They played the Wolves very tough though. The new look Sixers look pretty good. Andre Miller is getting those young guys the ball in the right situations. Andre Igoudala, Kyle Korver and Rodney Carney are going to be ball players in the future. It was great to see Joe Smith back, too. He gave us a lot of great years in Minnesota. The game ended up going to overtime and Garnett hit the gamewinning shot at the buzzer. I'm sure you have seen the highlights by now. The Wolves win streak extends to 3 games and Garnett has been clutch in all three.

Then the Wolves take on the Houston Rockets at home. The Rockets are playing without Yao Ming but Tracy McGrady seems to be back in his league-leading scoring form. I thought Trenton Hassell did one hell of a job out there. Sure, McGrady finished the game with around 30 points but all of those were tough, contested shots. McGrady is just a special player. Hassell was great defensively and offensively he was aggressive. We need that from Hassell. Garnett came up with a few key rebounds and he played well. How about Ricky Davis? He hit a lot of huge shots but most importantly he was getting dirty. He was on the floor atleast five times last night diving for loose balls and hustling back on defense. That is something you cannot question about Ricky Davis. The guy gives his all everytime he is out there. Sometimes he makes stupid decisions but it isn't because of a lack of effort, I can tell you that. The Wolves took the game to overtime and simply outlasted the Rockets in the extra frame. The win streak extens to four.

What is also great about this winning streak is the fans. The fans have come out to Target Center and have been involved in the game. There isn't excatly a buzz around the area (yet) about the team but there is more attention focused on it than in a long time. The Wolves are the underdogs who are playing tough basketball trying to win games. This appeals to the casual fans. Garnett is the lone wolf trying to lead his pack to the promise land. It makes for a great story. It finally seems like the characters are getting to know each other, too. The chemistry on this team is amazing. Let me tell you that. These guys love playing with each other. Mike James has struggled but has stayed positive. Everyone believes in each other. This is a team that is close knit. You have to love it.

How about the coaching job by Dwane Casey? He has been on the hot seat all season but lately he has coached extremely well. He went toe-to-toe with Gregg Popovich and Jeff Van Gundy and outcoached them. His rotations have been great and consistent and his plays out of timeouts are a lot better than before. The offense seems to be more fluent. We have an idenity. Casey is also doing a great job getting these guys to focus and play hard. Guys are diving on the floor, getting out and challenging a ballhandler and fighting to get that offensive rebound. Hard work is contagious and it starts with Kevin Garnett. It's a great thing to see.

Can this team keep up the winning streak? I think they can. I've been saying it all year, this team has talent. We are an extremely talented team. There is no reason why we can't be a Top 6 team in the Western Conference. The biggest concern, as Garnett says, is consistency. They know every night they have to come out and put an effort out on everything they do. There is no easy night in the NBA this year. This Timberwolves team needs to show us consistency but this four game winning streak (with three OTs in a row) has to be a great sign for Wolves fans. Everything seems to be clicking right now. You can thank Coach Casey and The Big Ticket for getting everyone rallied and focused. Garnett is playing like an MVP right now.

Heyt Dallas and Phoenix, Kevin Garnett has some words for you!

WE'RE COMIN', WE'RE COMIN'!

good to see Wolves winning. Who would have thought that it would coincide with increased production from Davis/ James/Blount

If Mike James plays aggressive, but smart, that team will be so dangerous it's not even funny

It's good to hear your enthusiasm for the recent run by the Wolves

If they go on a four-game losing streak after this thread, though, I think it's safe to say you jinxed it. Let's hope that doesn't happen. Garnett deserves his moments.

lol, I should've made one of these when NY won a couple of games at the beginning of 2006.

The Wolves have a brutal stretch of games coming up, and they will fall out of the race as expected. This month they play Utah, Phoenix (twice), Detroit (twice, and the rest of their games are no automatics.

Minnesota can beat Detroit come on now

Well, Minnesota has a pretty nice roster. If they can just get their offense to run cooperative, they could be something.

Hope they can keep it up. KG was named player of the week with 27.5 ppg 14.5 reb 5.0 assists and 1.5 blks over the 4 wins. Mark Blount is on fire at the moment he had back to back double doubles and is averaging 16.6 points and 7.1 rebounds over the last 10. Good to see more offensive output from Trenton with points and offensive rebounds and Randy Foye is looking the goods.

Ever since the leather ball came back, Mcgrady and Garnett are the players that stand out in getting wins for their teams.