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Wednesday, Apr. 4 8:00pm ET
Minnesota hopes Lopez is a big factor for years

RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Felipe Lopez is still living in a hotel, but he has found a home in the left corner of the Minnesota Timberwolves' offense.

Felipe Lopez
Minnesota's Felipe Lopez throws this one down, but later hit a key 3-pointer for the Wolves.

Lopez hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 50 seconds left in the Timberwolves' 83-79 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.

Last Sunday, he hit a late 3-pointer to give the Wolves a four-point lead in a 99-95 victory over the Blazers.

"Same time, same shot, same result," Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders said.

Lopez, who made his fifth start for the Wolves, still hasn't found a permanent home since signing with Minnesota on Feb. 28, six days after being waived by the Washington Wizards. He still lives in a hotel.

"Here, we have the mentality that if someone's in the corner, they're always open," Lopez said. "Kevin Garnett and the coaches get mad at me for not taking shots. That's an unusual situation."

Saunders said Lopez was a particularly important addition because the Timberwolves have lost four of their next five first-round draft picks for signing Joe Smith to an illegal, secret contract.

"He's a great fit for this team, with his personality," Saunders said. "We lost a lot of draft picks, and everyone wondered how we were going to be competitive. One way is to look for guys who will be a good fit.

"We're hoping he is our No. 1 pick for next year."

The Wolves trailed in the fourth quarter for all but the final 4:47, when a pair of free throws by Wally Szczerbiak gave them a 76-74 lead.

The Trail Blazers reclaimed the lead at 79-78 on a three-point play by Dale Davis and a pair of free throws by Damon Stoudamire.

Lopez's 3-pointer from the left corner was the Wolves' first basket in nearly three minutes, giving them an 81-79 lead with 50 seconds remaining. The Blazers' Rasheed Wallace missed a shot to tie with approximately 10 seconds remaining.

The defeat was the third in the row for the Trail Blazers, who could have clinched their 19th consecutive playoff bid with a victory.

"The last couple of weeks we've been on a killer rollercoaster," Davis said. "Lopez made a couple of big plays."

Game notes
The Wolves' Kevin Garnett had 18 points and 18 rebounds, for his 51st double-double in 74 games. ... Forward Shawn Kemp left the Blazers for undisclosed "personal reasons." He is expected to rejoin the team for the game Friday against Golden State. ... The Trail Blazers missed all 11 3-pointers they attempted, tying a franchise-low by a Timberwolves opponent. ... The Wolves won the season series against the Blazers, 3-1, for the first time in franchise history.

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Portland Clubhouse

Minnesota Clubhouse

RECAPS
Miami 86
Washington 84

Phoenix 103
Charlotte 94

Toronto 97
Cleveland 94

Philadelphia 90
Detroit 84

Orlando 108
Boston 101

Minnesota 83
Portland 79

Vancouver 86
LA Clippers 78

Milwaukee 108
Golden State 78


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