I don't even know where to start. That may have been the best basketball game I have ever watched. I know this is primarily a baseball website, but I would be embarrassed to call myself a Minnesotan if I didn't talk about the Minnesota Timberwolves and their big 83-80 Game 7 win over the Sacramento Kings. Even though the Wolves were clearly the better team throughout 95% of the game, I was nervous the entire game, until Chris Webber's 3-pointer at the buzzer rattled out and the Wolves had won. I had to keep score, point-by-point on paper just to keep my mind working and keep me from getting too nervous.
KG 4 MVP - I say "Absolutely!"
Kevin Garnett has taken a lot of grief in past years. Last night, on his 28th birthday, Garnett answered every single question that has ever been presented to him by his critics. With their first round win over the Denver Nuggets, Garnett had already led his team into the 2nd round of the playoffs. So, that question was finally done and answered. What other questions has KG had to answer? What have been the questions about Garnett's game in the past?
First, many people thought that he has a tendency to be too hyped for his own good at the beginning of games. Well, Garnett hit his first shot of the game less than a minute in, and he stayed under control the rest of the game.
People question his willingness to take big shots in big situations. Well, here are all of the Timberwolves Field Goals in the 4th quarter:
8:50 - Garnett turnaround jumper - 66-62
7:35 - Garnett four foot jumper off glass - 68-64
7:07 - Garnett hook shot from 3 feet - 70-64
5:40 - Garnett lay in - 72-66
5:03 - Garnett big dunk after crossover - 74-68
3:40 - Garnett long 3-pointer at end of shot clock - 77-70 (Injury Update - I think I threw out my shoulders when this shot went in. My arms flew too quickly into the air (like KG to the right). I didn't feel it at first, cuz I was too happy. But minutes later, that really hurt!!)
That's it! In the fourth quarter, Kevin Garnett was 6-9 from the field with 14 points. I have to also point out that he did not take one forced shot, other than those at the end of the shot clock. So, he didn't compromise his team or his own style of play just to take over. He stayed unselfish. If Gary Trent could make a lay-up, or Mark Madsen could catch the ball, he would have had even more assists. Also, he showed his all around game with a big steal with 33 seconds left. He also had a big blocked shot on a Brad Miller lay-in attempt with 2.5 seconds left.
Many have said, including myself, that Garnett's biggest problem is his high turnover rate. Well, last night, in the biggest game of his career, Kevin Garnett had just two turnovers in 46 minutes.
Garnett did all he could to push his team into the Western Conference Finals. All told, and with all due respect to Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett is the best all-around player in the NBA. Maybe with last night's performance, people will finally understand that.
When Michael Jordan finally led the Chicago Bulls to their first NBA title, people finally credited him for being the best player. Why? Because he could score? No. He always did that. Because he grabbed some rebounds and dished out some assists? No. Because he played All-NBA style defense? No. People credit Jordan with being able to make his teammates better. He made Scottie Pippen a great player. But he also made guys like Bill Cartwright, John Paxson, Will Perdue and other decent, contributing players better.
Kevin Garnett does the same thing. He has always done that, but now that the Wolves are winning in the playoffs, he should start getting credit for it. He has helped make Fred Hoiberg, Trenton Hassell and some other reserve-type players major contributors. He will pass it to anyone and expect that player to make a shot, or make the right play. (Read Patrick Reusse's article on Garnett)
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Did you know? The last time a conference finals were played in Minnesota was 50 years ago when the Minneapolis Lakers still called Minneapolis home.
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OK, that was the Kevin Garnett Hour. Thank you for reading. That said, I would be remiss to say that the only reason the Wolves won this series was because of Garnett. He did get a lot of help from a lot of players.
Sam Cassell deserves a lot of credit. Coming off of two really poor games where he faced injury and foul trouble (and a major case of bad decision-making), Cassell stepped up from the start. In the first quarter, Cassell shot 5-8 from the field for 11 points. For the most part, he did stay under control and made good decisions. Near the end, you could see his back was bothering him, but he made two huge free throws with 16.2 seconds left in the game. And 2 big free throws with 3:10 to go. He ended the game shooting 6-12 from the field and 10-11 from the line for 23 points. He also had 7 assists.
Latrell Sprewell has carried the Wolves the last two games, or even just most of the series. He had an off game last night, but still contributed mightily. He scored 14 points, grabbed 4 rebounds and 2 steals. He also had six turnovers. However, he is the one who guarded Mike Bibby and made him work for everything. His defense this series has been even tighter than the previous series.
Wally Szczerbiak was great in the 2nd quarter. In the middle of the quarter, Wally scored four straight field goals for the Wolves. He hit a runner, a 15 footer, a 10 footer in the paint and another 15 footer. Of his five baskets, three of them came directly as a result of his own offensive rebound. He's still the Wolves best shooter, and if he can get some open shots, he could be huge in the next playoff series.
Trenton Hassell hit some shots early in the series for the Wolves. The Kings finally stopped giving him open 15 footers, but Hassell just went back to playing the unbelievable defense he has all year. It isn't by accident that Peja Stojacovik was 3-12 from the field last night and really struggled most of the series.
Fred Hoiberg is known for his shooting. He knocked down a number of big three-pointers in the series. But as the series went on, I noticed he was getting some tough defensive assignments and doing a great job. With Wally playing more, Hoiberg may play a little less, but we know that Fred will come through when Flip Saunders puts him in the game. And Flip knows what he'll get from him, so he will get a lot of playing time.
Mark Madsen was really bad in limited time last night. He dropped three passes that would have led to 3 dunks for himself. However, Madsen played a huge role for the Wolves all series long. His energy is unbelievable. I love watching him on defense and he is an incredible offensive rebounder.
Ervin Johnson is not at all flashy, but he plays solid defense. He plays great help defense and can block some shots. He actually surprises me sometimes with just enough athleticism to make big defensive stands. He also gets some offensive boards and is smart enough not to try to do too much with them.
Darrick Martin did his job. He played his 6 or 7 minutes a game until last night. He is not very good. Doesn't shoot well. Probably too slow on defense. But he gives Cassell a couple of minutes here and there. His ejection helped the Wolves win Game 5 because it also got Brad Miller ejected. He may be able to keep up with Gary Payton and Derek Fisher a little better.
Gary Trent played a little more in the Sacramento series. He has the ability to score and is strong. He needs to back down to no one! Also provides six fouls on Shaq.
Michael Olowokandi, well, hopefully he can give the Wolves six fouls without screwing things up too bad!
And finally, we may get to see Oliver Miller get some playing time. Don't expect a lot, but his six fouls will be very valuable to the Wolves team in this upcoming series. But Miller is very skilled and could contribute some more. But in reality, the reason he was kept on the roster instead of another point guard is to foul Shaquille O'Neal.
The Kings Side
On the game, the Kings shot just 39.5% from the field. Even more alarming was that they were just 8-17 (47.1%) from the free throw line.
First, Sacramento Kings fans need to lay off of Chris Webber. He battled injury and other issues to get back and play. He is nowhere near 100%, and in the biggest game of the year, he did come through. He was 8-17 for 16 points and grabbed 8 rebounds last night.
Also, Doug Christie should get a lot more credit for what he does for the Kings. He has been 1st team all defense the last few years. He can hit open shots, handle the ball and pass. He is just very good. He went 9-17 last night including 3-5 from behind the arc for 21 points.
Actually, Brad Miller did very well. He hit too many open 18 footers throughout the game. He scored 11 points and grabbed 8 rebounds.
Mike Bibby was held up to lofty standards after Game 1. He is an incredible talent, but he was inconsistent last night. Even so, he scored 15 points with 8 rebounds and 8 assists.
I think it is time for Peja Stojacovik to start taking some grief. What did he do for the Kings after Game 3? And some people thought he should have been considered an MVP candidate. Well, in a huge game last night, Peja was just 3-12 from the field and scored just 8 points.
Having Anthony Peeler around would have helped the Kings (especially since Rodney Buford didn't do much!). Had Bobby Jackson been able to play, the series would have been entirely different.
But hey, that's why they play the games. And, that's why the regular season matters so much. Having the home-court did make a big difference for the Wolves last night. The Wolves had the best record and the #1 seed. The Kings struggled down the stretch and fell down to the 4th seed.
I'll leave it at that. I am thrilled that the Wolves' season will continue. I am thrilled to see them play the Lakers in the Conference championship series. I don't like their chances, but anything can happen. That series starts already on Friday night at 8:00 on TNT in the Target Center. Again, if you have any questions or comments on the Wolves, Send Me an E-mail.
Jesse
Palmer had a huge and difficult decision to make last night.
(Well, not last night, but his decision was revealed last night)
Tara or Jessica? Jessica or Tara? What to do? What
to do? Must be rough! Does he pick the hot chick? Does he pick the
smart chick? Oh yeah, they're both hot and both smart.
Last
night, the women went to visit Jesse's family, and they grilled both
women. Then he went ring shopping with both of them. Then, he got to
spend one final night with each of the women.