T’wolves top Bobcats
Maybe Kevin Garnett’s slump really was caused by the NBA’s synthetic ball.
Garnett had 32 points and 14 rebounds in the NBA’s return to the old leather ball, and the Minnesota Timberwolves rallied to beat Charlotte 102-96 on Monday night in Charlotte, N.C.
Garnett was one of the most vocal critics of the NBA’s decision to go with the microfiber composite ball at the start of the season, and his numbers had dipped as well.
Garnett was 9 of 29 from the field in the previous two games with the synthetic ball. With Garnett and other stars complaining so much and with the players’ union filing an unfair labor charge against the league, the NBA relented, switching back to the old ball for games starting Monday.
Garnett took advantage, shooting 12 of 18 from the floor for the game.
“There is a God,” Garnett said.
So is that really the reason Garnett broke out of a funk that saw him shoot 38 percent in the past four games?
“It looked like it,” guard Ricky Davis said. “Let’s just say, yeah.”
Davis added 25 points for Minnesota, and Mark Blount had 21. The Timberwolves trailed by 20 in the second quarter and by 12 early in the fourth.
Matt Carroll led the Bobcats with 23 points. Raymond Felton added 22 points and nine assists, and Adam Morrison had 18 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Garnett’s shot in the lane with 8:19 left finished a 12-0 run that gave Minnesota the lead. He scored nine more points down the stretch and grabbed an offensive rebound of a missed free throw that led to Davis’ basket that put Minnesota up 99-94.
After Carroll’s free throws pulled Charlotte within three, Garnett nailed a 14-footer with 16 seconds left to put it away.
“We knew they were going to make a run,” Felton said. “It was a good game that went down to the wire. We had a chance to get one more possession and not have to foul, but KG hit a big shot.”
Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace will miss at least a week after separating a shoulder Saturday against Indiana. Charlotte also is missing starting guard Brevin Knight, sidelined at least three more weeks because of an abdominal tear.
The Bobcats, wrapping up a stretch of five games in seven day that included a triple overtime win over the Los Angeles Lakers last Friday, were outscored 34-18 in the fourth quarter.
“It definitely hurt not having Gerald. He’s our do-everything type of guy, inside and outside,” said Morrison, who shot 8 of 17 from the field. “We were tired, but we can’t use that excuse. We get paid to play every game.”
Celtics 89, Trail Blazers 81: At Portland, Tony Allen had 22 points and eight rebounds and Boston ended its six-game slide with a win over the Trail Blazers.
Rookie Brandon Roy had 18 points to lead the Blazers.
SuperSonics 101, Celtics 95: At Seattle, Chris Wilcox scored a season high 24 points, Damien Wilkins added 20 points and Seattle held off Boston on Sunday night.
Ray Allen, Seattle’s leading scorer, was 7 of 20 from the floor for just 15 points after having a season-low 14 in Friday’s 101-82 loss to Minnesota. Allen, who averages 24.7 points, may be a little tired this week after the birth of his second son, Walker Allen.
Tony Allen had 23 points for the Celtics.
Lakers 104, 76ers 94: At Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant had 35 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and the Lakers overcame an injury to starting center Kwame Brown to beat Philadelphia on Sunday night.
The Lakers were leading 56-48 early in the third quarter when Brown was helped to the dressing room because of a severely sprained left ankle.
O’Neal closer to return
Shaquille O’Neal will take the final stage of his knee rehabilitation on the road and may possibly return to the Heat’s lineup by its Jan. 15 game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
O’Neal is recovering from Nov. 19 surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee and has missed 24 consecutive games. But coach Pat Riley said the Heat center will soon start running and practicing with the team.