NBA Game Summary - San Antonio at Minnesota

Minneapolis, MN (Basketball News) - Trenton Hassell scored 19 points and Ndudi Ebi posted 18 points and eight rebounds, as the Minnesota Timberwolves pounded the San Antonio Spurs, 95-73, in the regular-season final for both teams.

Kevin Garnett added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Timberwolves (44-38), who are not headed to the postseason for the first time since 1996. Minnesota made it to the Western Conference finals last season before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.

"It’s extremely difficult to walk out of here for the last time (this season)," Minnesota guard Fred Hoiberg said.

Anthony Carter netted 13 points in the win and Michael Olowokandi chipped in 10 points and 14 boards.

Glenn Robinson scored 16 points and Beno Udrih recorded 15 for the Spurs (59-23), who are the second seed in the Western Conference and will open playoffs with Sunday’s home game against Denver.

Tim Duncan played 23 minutes for the Spurs, but finished with just three points on 1-of-8 shooting. The two-time league MVP was playing in just his fourth game since returning from a sprained right ankle.

"We have a couple of guys banged up and one coming back from an injury," said Spurs guard Manu Ginobili. "Of course we’re concerned, but that’s what we’ve got. No one is going to feel sorry us."

The Timberwolves led 44-36 at halftime and added to that cushion in the third quarter. San Antonio cut the deficit to 48-44 early in the period, but the Timberwolves answered with a 15-4 run. Hassell scored six points in the stretch and his tip-in made it 63-48 with 4:35 left. Minnesota held a 75-57 lead by the end of the third quarter.

Minnesota kept the pressure on in the fourth and led by as many as 27 points en route to the easy win.

Both teams looked sluggish in the opening quarter and Minnesota led 19-15 by the end of the period. The Timberwolves shot just 31 percent in the first quarter, but San Antonio was even worse with a 20 percent clip.

The Timberwolves kept the lead in the second quarter. Garnett scored eight points to lead Minnesota in the first half, while Udrih paced San Antonio with nine.