[外電] Hudson gets point for Wolves
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/basketball/16841117.htm
Troy Hudson grew up in Carbondale, Ill., rooting for Magic Johnson, Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy and the Showtime-era Lakers and typically brings
his A-game to the court against the purple and gold.
Pride and opportunity meet again for Hudson and the Timberolves tonight at
Target Center, where Los Angeles has a chance to all but extinguish
Minnesota's fading playoff hopes.
Hudson, coming off a season-high 26-point, eight-assist performance Sunday in
Boston after languishing on the bench for months, will start again at point
guard, coach Randy Wittman said Monday.
He is the third player to have the job in as many weeks as Wittman, 6-13
since taking over for the fired Dwane Casey on Jan. 23, searches in vain for
consistent production from the position. Time is running out to find a
solution before Minnesota becomes a permanent afterthought.
The Wolves (26-33) are three games behind Denver for the eighth and final
playoff spot in the Western Conference and trail the sixth-seeded Lakers by 6
½ games.
"We're starting to reach the point where our backs are against the wall, and
we've got to start doing something about it. We've got to win," Wittman said.
Despite losing in double overtime to a Celtics team that has only 17
victories this season, Wittman said he liked the way the Wolves, particularly
Hudson, distributed the ball. He did not expect Hudson's production in 46
minutes after such a long layoff.
"I wasn't expecting 26 points, but I was not surprised by his court savvy,
pushing the ball up the floor, the flow of our offense. He did a great job of
that," Wittman said.
Hudson replaced rookie Randy Foye, who had taken over the point from veteran
Mike James March 11 against Boston. To his credit, Hudson hardly made a peep
when he was overlooked and relegated to the back seat most of the season.
"I've been in the league 10 years, and I've been at the end of the bench, the
sixth man. I've been the starter," he said. "To go back to the end of the
bench, it was a humbling experience. I just took it in stride, kept my
spirits high and worked through it."
Wittman, who has accused his team of playing selfishly at times, lauded
Hudson's attitude.
"I have used him as an example all year long, of a guy that wants to play,
probably should be playing, is not, and is handling it the right way,"
Wittman said. "He's worked every day. He's really worked with Randy on the
side and trying to team him. That's being professional. That's why I think he
was ready (Sunday) night."
Hudson said he's always ready to play the Lakers. One of the highlights of
Hudson's career was the way he almost single-handedly led the Wolves to a
first-round victory in the 2003 playoffs, when he averaged 23.5 points and
5.5 assists in a six-game loss to the Lakers.
Much has changed for both teams since that postseason and their epic
seven-game clash in the 2004 Western Conference playoffs.
Hudson, Kevin Garnett, Mark Madsen and Trenton Hassell are the only players
left from the Wolves' most successful team. The Lakers bottomed out after
recycling future hall of famers Shaquille O'Neal, Gary Payton and Karl Malone.
But they still have Kobe Bryant, the most dominant perimeter player in the
NBA, according to assistant Wolves general manager Fred Hoiberg.
"They are a team that, every night, it is going to be an electric atmosphere
because it's Kobe and the Lakers," Hoiberg said.
Injury report: The Wolves likely will be without forward Hassell, who did not
practice Monday after spraining his left ankle against the Celtics. His
status is day to day. Look for Rashad McCants and Marko Jaric to absorb most
of Hassell's minutes against the Lakers.
Madsen, out since Feb. 22 with a sprained ankle, participated in limited
drills, but Wittman said the forward was a few days away from resuming
contact.
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