Streaks end, Wolves win 104-79 without Foye, Carney

Posted on March 12th, 2009 – 12:36 AM
By Jerry Zgoda

This about figures with your mystifying Timberwolves: They lose two more players to injuries, including in Randy Foye their next best scorer to already injured Al Jefferson and…they win for the first time since Feb. 18 at Miami and for the first time at home since Jan. 25 against Chicago.

Huh?

Well, you can explain their careening 25-point victory — ahead 21 points after one quarter, up by three early in the third –  in a couple of weird ways:

* Finally, Mike Miller, out of necessity more than anything else, delivered the kind of assertive offensive performance the team has needed from him since he was acquired. Kevin McHale sent him out there from the start to exploit his four-inch advantage over O.J. Mayo and he scored 11 of his 18 points in a 35-14 Wolves’ first quarter.

He also took 12 shots, modest still but more than he had taken in the previous three games combined. And the guy who has wanted to pass and rebound rather than shoot this season also got his fourth double-double (and his second in five games) with 11 rebounds, too.

* Three months ago, the Grizzlies looked so much further ahead than the Wolves in their rebuilding. They were long, young and athletic and in Mayo, Rudy Gay, Darrell Arthur and Marc Gasol had a nucleus almost anybody would have taken over the Wolves.

The Wolves, even with all their injuries (including Al Jefferson’s, of course), have won three more games and after playing so lifelessly at times during their 10-game losing streak, they were the team that bursted with energy Wednesday. I can’t remember the last time I saw an NBA team look at disinterested as the Grizzlies did most of the night. Their coach Lionel Hollins used such words as “humiliating” and “embarrassing” and he probably was being kind.

* Mayo once was the co-favorite for Rookie of the Year. He’s still tops among rookies in scoring, but how do you think last summer’s trade is going to look in five years. Yes, Kevin Love will always be undersized, but he certainly will be a more unique player than Mayo. That doesn’t mean necessarily he’ll be better (although I sure wouldn’t doubt it), but I’ll take this bet: Wherever he is then, Love’s team will be winning more games than Mayo’s. Envision him when he’s 25 and he’ll have so many skills that can help a team win.

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