[外電] Playing as if it matters
http://www.twincities.com/timberwolves/ci_5615085
The fans at Madison Square Garden chanted "defense!" and cheered for their
team Friday night. Applause rained down from the stands as the New York
Knicks were locked in a tight game with playoff implications.
Oh, what life would be like if the Timberwolves played in the Eastern
Conference.
Randy Foye made five three-pointers and scored 19 points to lead the Wolves,
who dominated the first half and hung on to beat the Knicks, escaping with a
99-94 victory, their second consecutive road win against an Eastern
Conference team fighting for playoff position. The Wolves defeated Orlando
105-104 in overtime Sunday.
"I think about it all the time, but we're in the West," Foye said. "We can't
look at the East and say, 'Oh, if we were there...' because that's what
losers do. We've got to have a winner's mentality and keep on pushing for
it."
The Knicks outscored the Wolves 29-15 in the third quarter, 15 of those
points coming from diminutive dynamo Nate Robinson. But Foye scored 10 points
in the fourth, making all three of his three-point shots.
"We might be in first place," said the Wolves' Ricky Davis when asked what it
might be like to play in the East.
In the East, the Wolves' 32-43 record would put them two games behind Orlando
in the chase for the No. 8 and last playoff berth. The Wolves still would be
in the playoff hunt. Then again, their record might be better than 32-43 with
the bulk of their schedule against Eastern teams.
"That's not our reality," Wolves all-star Kevin Garnett said. "I wish it was, but
it's not."
Instead, the Wolves are 5? games out in the West, clearly the superior half
of the NBA. Their playoff hopes died about two weeks ago after a 1-4 road
trip.
Friday's game had the atmosphere of a playoff game. The Wolves aren't a part
of it, buried instead in the Northwest Division far behind the Utah Jazz and
the Denver Nuggets.
Many of the Wolves probably would feel more comfortable in the East. Davis,
Mark Blount and Justin Reed are former Boston Celtics.
Garnett's star might burn even brighter if he played at Madison Square
Garden, the so-called Mecca of basketball, more than once a year. Rookies
Foye (Villanova) and Craig Smith (Boston College) played college basketball
in the East.
Minnesota improved to 14-15 against the East. That's not a great record, but
it's better than the Wolves' 18-28 mark against the West. The Wolves have
just seven games remaining and no hope of making the playoffs.
The Knicks, who trailed 59-41 at halftime, got back in the game in the third
quarter as Robinson hit three three-pointers and made life miserable for the
Wolves with his energy and spunk.
The Wolves responded, though, for one of the rare times this season after an
opponent made a run. New York's Mardy Collins tied the score 74-74 early in
the fourth quarter, but Foye made a three-pointer, and the Wolves never
relinquished the lead the rest of the way.
With 1:31 left, Davis' three-pointer bounced off the rim and down, giving the
Wolves a 96-87 lead.
Robinson answered with a three for the Knicks, and later they were able to
cut the score to 96-94 when Renaldo Balkman got an offensive rebound and then
scored a layup with about 16 seconds left.
Eventually, the Knicks were forced to foul. After Foye made a free throw but
missed the second, Smith came down with the offensive rebound with 12.3
seconds left, the Wolves leading 97-94.
Garnett was fouled and added another free throw for a four-point edge with
four seconds left.
The Wolves face reality again tonight at Target Center against the New
Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, a team with an outside chance to make the
playoffs in the West.
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