Garnett scores 24 as Timberwolves down Kings

Troy Hudson scored 15 points for the Timberwolves, who finished the 2005-06 season with a disappointing 33-49 record and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second straight season. Trenton Hassell added 13 points.

"Troy [Hudson] had a phenomenal game," Garnett said. "For the most part everybody came out with a lot of energy."

Kevin Martin scored 23 points for the Kings, who finished last season with a 44-38 record and returned to the postseason for the eighth straight year. Ron Artest posted 16 points and 12 rebounds for Sacramento, which played its first game under former Golden State coach Eric Musselman.

"The turnovers hurt us down the stretch," Musselman said. "From a rebounding standpoint, I thought our guys worked the glass really well. We took care of the ball."

Mike Bibby, who had been sidelined after tests on an injured thumb revealed he has a mallet thumb, was a late addition to the starting lineup and contributed 16 points and five boards.

Trailing by three points, Minnesota went on a 19-6 run capped by four straight free throws by Garnett with 2:52 remaining in the fourth. The play occurred after Bibby got a pair of technical fouls and was ejected from the game. The Kings outscored Minnesota by just one point thereafter for the final margin.

Minnesota took an early lead, after a 13-4 run capped by a pair of Hassell layups with 3:06 remaining in the first, and led 23-16 heading into the second.

The Kings outscored Minnesota by five points in the second to trail, 43-41, at halftime. Sacramento continued to control the game through the third, outscoring the Wolves by four points, to hold a two-point advantage heading into the fourth. The Kings went on a 12-2 spurt midway through the third capped by a Martin three-pointer.

Minnesota overcame 21 turnovers by holding Sacramento to 36 percent shooting.

Game Notes

Garnett and Maurice Taylor received double technical fouls after an altercation with 25.6 seconds to go in the third quarter. Taylor got ejected seconds later after another confrontation with Garnett on the other end of the floor...Minnesota won two of three from the Kings last season. Sacramento has lost six of its last nine at the Timberwolves...Sacramento has lost three straight season-openers, while the Timberwolves have won seven in a row.