Bless the NBA and preseason play: Where else could a team trail by 19 after little more than one quarter and win by 10?

Putrid for more than 12 minutes, the Wolves rescued themselves against the Bulls, reversing a 30-13 first quarter deficit by outscoring them 33-15 in the second and 24-18 in the third. Trailing 32-13 17 seconds into the second quarter, the Wolves went 33-13 the rest of the first half to take a one-point halftime lead, which they stretched to as many as 11 after intermission.

How’d they do it? Well, they made some shots, exerted their girth inside and played a lot of defense. Craig Smith returned after a two-game absence and, er, bulled his way to the basket. Kevin Love rebounded from Friday’s troublesome game at Denver by cleaning up on the backboards (six of his eight were on the offensive end and he even through his first rather nifty outlet pass of the preseason to Rashad McCants for a score).

More than anything, though, it might have been Corey Brewer’s energy that changed everything. The guy is playing himself into a groove. Tonight, that included another three-pointer (six in preseason play compared to seven all last regular season), 15 points on 5 for 11 shooting, nine rebounds (all but one on the defensive end), a steal and blocked shot. He and Rodney Carney joined together to provide the second-quarter defensive pulse the team was completely missing in the opening quarter.

Before the night was through, six players scored in double figures.

Kevin Ollie auditioned for that third-guard spot, all the more important now that Sebastian Telfair will sit out three games to start the season, by playing 17 minutes, including leading the offense in the game’s final minutes when the Bulls got to three points but no closer, thanks in part to six of Ollie’s eight points in the final three minutes.

One very memorable moment: Craig Smith showing his once-swollen knee was all better with a thunderous dunk over Tyrus Thomas and Andres Nocioni in the fourth quarter. So inspired by the dunk and the spring in his knee, Smith shouted at the United Center rafters in a primal scream sort of like a former Timberwolf once did.

“It surprised him, me and the two guys he jumped over,” Randy Wittman said.

Mike Miller limped noticeably on his sprained ankle before the game and did not play, but he said the injury would only keep him out a few days. Rashad McCants returned from that elbow injury that limited him to four minutes Friday in Denver and Smith scored 10 points and had seven rebounds in 21 minutes.

Calvin Booth is closer to making his first appearance of the preseason, bu the didn’t play lastnight. Either did Blake Ahearn or Chris Richard (coach’s decisions both).

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