Wolves In Hunt Players For The

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Minnesota Timberwolves have had much to be thankful for on a Thanksgiving Day - for being in the NBA, being rich and famous.

But never for being with a winning team.

Minnesota began this season with the worst record in NBA history for teams that have been in the league more than one season. Never in their seven-year history had the Timberwolves had a winning record after the second week of the season.

Until now.

The Wolves have moved into fifth in the Western Conference by going 21-10 since Dec. 19, when they kicked off that run with victories over the Lakers, with Shaquille O’Neal, the Jazz and Knicks.

“I remember USA Today putting out those highs and lows (charts), and we’d always be in the low category,” Doug West noted.

They’ve changed thanks to one of the best cores of young players in the NBA in Stephon Marbury, Tom Gugliotta and Kevin Garnett, the latter two All-Stars this season.

“Obviously, this isn’t the last of it,” Garnett said. “We’ve got to use this (seven wins in nine games since the All-Star break) as a booster for the whole team. But as easy as you can stand up, it’s as easy for you to fall.”

But that doesn’t seem like the future for Minnesota anymore because the Timberwolves also finally came up with a good big man. The Timberwolves’ streak pretty much coincided with Dean Garrett’s insertion into the starting lineup. The 6-foot-10-inch center, who was the other junior college transfer (with Keith Smart) on Indiana’s 1987 NCAA title team, is averaging 33 minutes, 10.2 points and 10.8 rebounds a game since he became a starter 18 games ago.

“Rebound” is the operative word for Garrett, not only because he does the dirty work for the Timberwolves but also because he bounced around for seven years in Europe.

Then late last season in Greece, former NBA player Marlon Maxey, a member of a team that was slated to play Garrett’s, informed Garrett the game had been fixed for Maxey’s team. Garrett said he was told to skip practice the next day, and then the newspapers reported that Garrett had missed curfew and was becoming a problem.

“They were going to lose the game and blame me,” said Garrett, “so I was gone.”

Garrett took one more NBA shot, and he finally stuck.

Barkley hurt

Charles Barkley cut his left hip in a collision with Shawn Bradley during Saturday night’s Houston-Dallas game.

The incident occurred with 7:44 left in the first quarter as Bradley drove for the basket. Barkley was helped off the court and taken to a hospital for X-rays.

The cut required several stitches.

Rockets sign Threatt

The Houston Rockets, depleted at guard by injuries and a failed bid to trade for Derek Harper, have signed 13-year NBA veteran Sedale Threatt for the rest of the season.

Threatt, 35, has not played since having surgery for patella tendinitis in October. He averaged 7.3 points and 3.3 assists in 82 games with the Los Angeles Lakers last season. He previously played for Seattle.