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Timberwolves reach 2nd round for 1st time
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-05-01 18:07

Kevin Garnett and the Minnesota Timberwolves are moving on, glad to be rid of their first-round burden but nowhere near satisfied with winning one series.


Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett (21) dunks in front of Denver Nuggets' Marcus Camby (right), in the third quarter as the Timberwolves advance to the second-round of the NBA playoffs with a 102-91 victory in Minneapolis Friday, April 30, 2004. Garnett was the game-high scorer with 28 points. [AP Photo]
Minnesota won a playoff series for the first time Friday night after an NBA-record seven first-round failures, with Garnett leading the Timberwolves to a 102-91 victory over Denver.

"The bear's off our back. I'm excited for the second round," said Garnett, who had had 28 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in Game 5.

The Timberwolves will face Sacramento in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Tuesday night in Minneapolis.

"It was a good test for us," said Latrell Sprewell, who had 15 of his 19 points in the first half. "Hopefully by the way it was played it prepared us for Sacramento."

In the only other game Friday night, Miami beat New Orleans 87-83 to take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference series.

Marcus Camby and Andre Miller each scored 21 points for Denver, which played without rookie Carmelo Anthony.

His sprained left knee wasn't strong enough to play on and though the 19-year-old star's first postseason was quiet, the Nuggets weren't the same with Jon Barry in the starting lineup.

"You lose your leading scorer, obviously it's a big factor," coach Jeff Bzdelik said. "But it happens and you deal with it. I'm very proud of our basketball team."

Sam Cassell had 26 points for the Timberwolves, who got 72 percent of their scoring from their leading trio. Garnett, the only one to play on all eight playoff teams, scored Minnesota's first six points of the fourth quarter — a dunk, two free throws and a turnaround — to make it 80-68 with 10 minutes left.

Denver came within nine points twice after that, but no closer. Taken out with 34 seconds to go, Garnett slowly raised his arms to acknowledge the roaring, overflow sellout crowd of 19,890 before heading to the bench.

"We accomplished something very special," Sprewell said. "As for Kevin, he works so hard and he's taken a lot of criticism."

The top-seeded Timberwolves have homecourt advantage through the conference finals.

"They have a good chance," Camby said. "I'll be rooting for them."

The eighth-seeded Nuggets showed some spunk in their first playoff series since 1995. Enduring a 24-4 Minnesota run that created a 26-point deficit late in the second quarter, Denver stormed back by scoring the last 13 points before halftime and pulled within 12 at 57-45.

The Nuggets stayed close in the third, too. Neither Sprewell nor Cassell scored in that period, and Barry's late 3-pointer cut it to 72-66.

"We weren't going to come in here and lay down," Miller said. "We played a good game. We fought hard, but we just didn't make enough shots."

There were plenty of sideshows in the series, but referee Steve Javie's crew kept both teams mostly under control. Barry and Sprewell, last seen jawing at each other after the Wolves' win in Game 4, guarded each other without incident.

Camby was given a technical foul for taunting the Timberwolves' bench late in the first half, and Sprewell stuck his tongue out at his old New York teammate after swishing a baseline jumper a few seconds later. They hugged after the game.

"Emotion runs high in the playoffs," Barry said. "This was no different than any other series."

Heat 87, Hornets 83

At Miami, Eddie Jones scored 25 points, and Dwyane Wade's 3-pointer with 54 seconds left put Miami ahead to stay.

The home team has won all five games, and the Heat have won 15 consecutive games in Miami. They can close out the series Sunday in New Orleans, but they're 13-30 on the road this season.

Wade finished with 21 points. Baron Davis led the Hornets, 0-5 in Miami this season, with 33 points.

 
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