NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
MINNESOTA 22 12 38 24 96
PHOENIX 22 16 35 27 100 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: MIN - KEVIN GARNETT 20, TERRELL BRANDON 16, ANTHONY PEELER
14
PHO - LUC LONGLEY 17, JASON KIDD 17, TWO PLAYERS WITH 16
HIGH REBOUND: MIN - KEVIN GARNETT 11, ANDRAE PATTERSON 7
PHO - LUC LONGLEY 10, TOM GUGLIOTTA 9
HIGH ASSISTS: MIN - TERRELL BRANDON 13, TWO PLAYERS WITH 3
PHO - JASON KIDD 6, TWO PLAYERS WITH 4
ATT: 18,773
Extended Box
MINNESOTA (96) AT PHOENIX (100)
MINNESOTA
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
K GARNETT F 32 9-13 1-1 0 11 11 3 3 1 2 20
SMITH F 27 3-7 2-2 0 5 5 0 2 1 2 8
MITCHELL C 12 2-5 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 5
BRANDON G 29 8-17 0-0 2 4 6 13 4 2 1 16
PEELER G 31 5-11 0-0 1 1 2 1 3 1 0 14
D GARRETT 15 3-5 0-0 3 1 4 0 3 0 2 6
HAMMONDS 16 2-5 2-4 0 5 5 1 2 0 0 6
JACKSON 7 1-3 0-0 1 2 3 1 1 0 0 2
NESTEROVIC 18 2-8 0-0 3 3 6 1 4 0 1 4
PATTERSON 24 2-5 0-0 2 5 7 3 1 2 4 4
ROBINSON 12 4-9 0-0 1 2 3 2 5 0 3 9
SEALY 17 1-8 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2
TOTALS 240 42-96 5-7 13 39 52 25 30 7 17 96
(.438) (.714) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 17(17 PTS)
PHOENIX
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
GUGLIOTTA F 31 5-11 6-6 3 6 9 1 2 0 1 16
ROBINSON F 41 5-12 5-7 0 5 5 4 0 0 3 16
LONGLEY C 28 5-9 7-8 5 5 10 3 0 1 0 17
CHAPMAN G 32 4-12 1-3 0 2 2 4 0 2 0 9
KIDD G 35 5-12 6-11 2 3 5 6 1 4 2 17
BAILEY 7 0-0 1-2 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1
GARRITY 12 0-0 3-4 0 2 2 0 3 0 2 3
LIVINGSTON 22 5-8 2-2 0 2 2 3 1 2 1 12
MANNING 25 4-13 1-2 1 5 6 0 4 0 2 9
MORRIS 7 0-2 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
KLEINE DNP - BACK SPASMS
MCCLOUD DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 33-79 32-45 11 33 44 22 11 9 11 100
(.418) (.711) TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 11(2 PTS)
MINNESOTA 22 12 38 24 - 96
PHOENIX 22 16 35 27 - 100
BLOCKED SHOTS: MINNESOTA - BRANDON, ROBINSON. PHOENIX - GUGLIOTTA 3,
LONGLEY, ROBINSON, MANNING.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: MINNESOTA 7-22 (.318), K GARNETT 1-1, MITCHELL 1-1,
BRANDON 0-4, PEELER 4-8, JACKSON 0-1, ROBINSON 1-6, SEALY 0-1. PHOENIX
2-10 (.200), ROBINSON 1-4, CHAPMAN 0-4, KIDD 1-1, MORRIS 0-1.
TECHNICALS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: BERNIE FRYER, SCOTT FOSTER, VIOLET PALMER.
A - 18,773. T - 2:13.
Box Score
MINNESOTA (96)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
K Garnett 32 9-13 1-1 0-11 3 3 20
Smith 27 3-7 2-2 0-5 0 2 8
Mitchell 12 2-5 0-0 0-0 0 2 5
Brandon 29 8-17 0-0 2-6 13 4 16
Peeler 31 5-11 0-0 1-2 1 3 14
D Garrett 15 3-5 0-0 3-4 0 3 6
Hammonds 16 2-5 2-4 0-5 1 2 6
Jackson 7 1-3 0-0 1-3 1 1 2
Nesterovic 18 2-8 0-0 3-6 1 4 4
Patterson 24 2-5 0-0 2-7 3 1 4
Robinson 12 4-9 0-0 1-3 2 5 9
Sealy 17 1-8 0-0 0-0 0 0 2
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 240 42-96 5-7 13-52 25 30 96
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.438, FT-.714. 3-Point Goals:
7-22, .318 (K Garnett 1-1, Mitchell 1-1, Brandon
0-4, Peeler 4-8, Jackson 0-1, Robinson 1-6, Sealy
0-1). Team rebounds: 8. Blocked shots: 2
(Brandon, Robinson). Turnovers: 17 (Patterson 4,
Robinson 3, D Garrett 2, K Garnett 2, Smith 2,
Brandon, Mitchell, Nesterovic, Sealy). Steals: 7
(Brandon 2, Patterson 2, K Garnett, Peeler,
Smith).
PHOENIX (100)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Gugliotta 31 5-11 6-6 3-9 1 2 16
Robinson 41 5-12 5-7 0-5 4 0 16
Longley 28 5-9 7-8 5-10 3 0 17
Chapman 32 4-12 1-3 0-2 4 0 9
Kidd 35 5-12 6-11 2-5 6 1 17
Bailey 7 0-0 1-2 0-1 1 0 1
Garrity 12 0-0 3-4 0-2 0 3 3
Livingston 22 5-8 2-2 0-2 3 1 12
Manning 25 4-13 1-2 1-6 0 4 9
Morris 7 0-2 0-0 0-2 0 0 0
Kleine DNP - back spasms
Mccloud DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 240 33-79 32-45 11-44 22 11 100
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.418, FT-.711. 3-Point Goals:
2-10, .200 (Robinson 1-4, Chapman 0-4, Kidd 1-1,
Morris 0-1). Team rebounds: 11. Blocked shots: 6
(Gugliotta 3, Longley, Robinson, Manning).
Turnovers: 11 (Robinson 3, Garrity 2, Kidd 2,
Manning 2, Gugliotta, Livingston). Steals: 9
(Kidd 4, Chapman 2, Livingston 2, Longley).
____________________________________________
Minnesota 22 12 38 24 - 96
Phoenix 22 16 35 27 - 100
____________________________________________
Technical fouls: None. Flagrant fouls: None. A:
18,773. T: 2:13. Officials: Bernie Fryer, Scott
Foster, Violet Palmer.
Game Story
PHOENIX (Ticker) -- One week ago, Tom Gugliotta was booed in his
old home and had a letdown performance against his former team.
His revenge tonight helped the Phoenix Suns drop the Minnesota
Timberwolves to the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Gugliotta was the deciding factor in the final minute as the
Suns closed their regular season with a key 100-96 victory over
the Timberwolves.
The Suns (27-23) avoided an opening-round playoff series with
the red-hot San Antonio Spurs, the top seed in the West.
Instead, Phoenix will face the Pacific Division champion
Portland Trail Blazers in the first round after ending up
seventh in the conference.
"We have a tough time matching up against them, but if we play
like we expect we can, we'll be fine," Gugliotta said of the
upcoming series with Portland.
The Timberwolves (25-25) finished the regular season eighth in
the West and will be forced to play the Spurs in the opening
round.
"I feel we can beat anybody in the NBA," said Timberwolves
forward Kevin Garnett. "We just have to stay away from the
little mistakes that hurt us."
Gugliotta put the Suns ahead for good, 95-93, with an 18-footer
off a feed from Jason Kidd with 42 seconds to play. Gugliotta's
defense forced Joe Smith into a tough fallaway on the other end
and Cliff Robinson rebounded the miss.
Minnesota sent Kidd to the foul line and he made the first
before missing the second, but Gugliotta chased down the
rebound. He was fouled with 21 seconds left and hit both free
throws for a 98-93 lead.
Following a timeout, Gugliotta grabbed the loose ball off an
errant inbounds pass by rookie Andrae Patterson. For good
measure, Gugliotta recorded one of his three blocks on a
meaningless 3-point attempt by Terrell Brandon at the buzzer.
"It was fun to hit a couple of baskets and get a rebound at the
end against my old team," Gugliotta said. "The last game
individually, I didn't play as well as I'd like. The main thing
is to get the win, but that was nice."
Gugliotta had 16 points and nine rebounds and hit all six of his
free throws, leading the Suns' 32-of-45 effort from the line.
Minnesota made just 5-of-7 at the stripe.
"I've never seen such a discrepancy as far as foul shots -- 45
to seven," said Minnesota coach Flip Saunders.
Having left Minnesota in the offseason to sign as a free agent
with Phoenix, Gugliotta was booed in his return to the Target
Center on April 28. He scored just nine points and missed a
potential game-tying 3-pointer with 14 seconds left as the Suns
lost to the Timberwolves, 97-92.
Kidd scored 17 points and handed out six assists, finishing the
regular season as the league leader in that department. He had
539 assists, averaging 10.8 on the season.
Kevin Garnett had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Minnesota, which
is in the postseason for the third straight year. Phoenix made
the playoffs for the 11th consecutive season.
Luc Longley had 17 points and 10 rebounds for Phoenix, which has
won eight in a row at home. But the Suns will have to travel to
Portland on Saturday for Game One of their first-round series.
"I'm just happy the season's over," Kidd said. "I think today
we didn't play our best basketball game, but we kept our home
streak intact and hopefully we can build on that."
The Timberwolves have lost 10 in a row on the road since a win
at Boston on March 24. They will visit San Antonio on Sunday
for Game One of their opening-round matchup.
This game involved two of the league's more potent offenses, but
both teams struggled in the first half. Phoenix hit just
14-of-40 (35 percent) from the field and Minnesota made 16-of-47
(34 percent). Cliff Robinson, who contributed 16 points,
drained a 3-pointer that gave the Suns a 38-34 halftime lead.
"That looked like a game where people were trying not to get
hurt rather than playing a game," said Suns coach Danny Ainge.
"Maybe that was my fault for saying that I wanted us to be
healthy going into the playoffs. I thought we were playing very
cautious and not with very much intensity."
The teams woke up in the third quarter, nearly matching their
combined total from the first half, with Minnesota holding a
38-35 edge in the period to pull within one.
Kidd fed Gugliotta for a layup with 9:09 left as the Suns took
their largest lead, 47-39. Anthony Peeler drained all four of
his 3-pointers in the final eight-plus minutes of the quarter,
helping Minnesota pull within 73-72.
Terrell Brandon collected 16 points and 13 assists for the
Timberwolves, who managed only two points off 11 Phoenix
turnovers. The Suns scored 17 points off 17 Minnesota miscues.
