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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Wally Szczerbiak knew he'd make the
Philadelphia 76ers pay for leaving him open.
|  | | Minnesota's Dean Garrett, left, and Kevin Garnett sandwich 76ers guard Allen Iverson in the first half Monday. |
Szczerbiak hit a key 3-pointer in overtime and Kevin Garnett had
23 points and 12 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the
76ers 96-91 on Monday night.
"I had been struggling all night, so I said to myself, 'You
better make an impact out there if they keep leaving you open,
daring you to shoot,"' Szczerbiak said. "That's a shot I probably
wouldn't have taken last year because I didn't have enough
confidence."
After the teams combined for seven missed baskets over a 2:22
stretch in overtime, Szczerbiak hit a 3-pointer from the top of the
circle to give Minnesota the lead for good, 89-86, with 2:00
remaining.
The teams traded free throws, and Garnett iced it with a pair
with 14.1 seconds left.
"Wally is a shooter, and he'll take any shot you give," said
Garnett, who found Szczerbiak open on the pivotal 3-pointer. "His
confidence is way up from last year."
The Timberwolves held the 76ers to one field goal in overtime,
and handed them their first loss in eight games at home this
season.
Terrell Brandon had 16 points and Anthony Peeler and Rasho
Nesterovic each had 13 points for Minnesota, which won its fourth
straight.
Allen Iverson scored 26, Theo Ratliff had 14 points and 12
rebounds and Tyrone Hill had 11 points and 13 rebounds for
Philadelphia.
"We had a chance to put these guys away early," Iverson said.
"They didn't even want to play in the first quarter. They didn't
even want to play in the beginning of the second quarter. We never
blow people out.
"We don't put our foot on people's necks when they're down and
apply pressure, and it's been like that since I've been here."
The Sixers, already playing without Matt Geiger (right quad
tendinitis) and Eric Snow (fractured right ankle), barely had
enough healthy players to dress.
Hill played with a right ankle sprain and Iverson had a right
hip contusion. It was Philadelphia's fifth game in five different
cities in eight days.
"You need games like this because it gives you confidence,"
Minnesota coach Flip Saunders said. "We are similar to
Philadelphia; we will keep playing. We will find ways to hang
around and win games down the stretch."
Szczerbiak fouled out as Aaron McKie shot a 3-pointer, and McKie
made two free throws to cut it to 93-91 with 14.9 seconds left. But
two free throws by Garnett and a turnover sealed the victory.
The Sixers led 80-76 with 2:47 left in the fourth after a
3-pointer by George Lynch. Peeler tied it at 84 with a 3-pointer
from the top of the circle with 34.4 seconds left in the fourth.
After Ratliff missed a layup, Iverson stole a pass from Peeler
with 5.0 seconds left. However, Vernon Maxwell missed a 3-pointer
at the buzzer that would have given the Sixers a victory in
regulation.
"We had four options on the play and I was perfectly happy with
any of them," Sixers coach Larry Brown said. "I'd love to have
Vernon wide open in that situation."
Both teams had long scoreless droughts in the fourth. Minnesota
went more than five minutes without a point, and the Sixers didn't
score over a four-minute stretch.
Minnesota, which trailed by as many as 12, took its first lead
since early in the first, 67-66, on a dunk by Peeler with 1:32 left
in the third. The Timberwolves outscored Philadelphia 16-8 to end
the third, but made just one field goal in the first eight minutes
of the fourth.
Game notes
Besides Szczerbiak, Chauncey Billups also fouled out for
Minnesota. ... Garnett has reached double figures in 231 straight
games, the longest streak in the NBA. ... Snow will have surgery on
Tuesday to repair a right ankle fracture. He is expected to miss
six to eight weeks. ... Geiger has missed four straight games. ... Sixers
coach Larry Brown received the coach of the month award for October
prior to the game. ... Toni Kukoc had just two points in 17
minutes.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Minnesota Clubhouse
Philadelphia Clubhouse
RECAPS
Minnesota 96
Philadelphia 91
Phoenix 86
Chicago 80
San Antonio 91
Utah 83
Houston 82
Vancouver 75
LA Clippers 92
Orlando 80
 FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Kevin Garnett Official Site
Larry Brown Official Site
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