NBA Game Summary - Minnesota at Portland

Portland, OR (Basketball News) - Latrell Sprewell finished with a game-high 27 points and Kevin Garnett collected 17 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, as the Minnesota Timberwolves held on to beat the Portland Trail Blazers, 91-83, at the Rose Garden.

Wally Szczerbiak hit a big three-pointer down the stretch and finished with 12 points for the Timberwolves, who halted a two-game losing streak and won for just the fourth time in 14 contests.

Nick Van Exel posted 26 points and eight assists for the Blazers, who lost for the third time in four games. Zach Randolph chipped in 17 points and nine rebounds in the loss and Ruben Patterson added 10 points and eight boards.

The Timberwolves held a 74-69 advantage heading into the fourth quarter, but Portland erased that by starting the period on a 7-2 run to even the game at 76-76.

The score was tied at many junctures in the fourth quarter, including at 83-83 when Patterson converted a layup to knot the game with 1:37 remaining. However, it was Minnesota that would finish strong and earn the victory. Sprewell and Szczerbiak hit three-pointers on consecutive trips down the court to make it 89-83 with 36.4 seconds left and all but seal the win.

The Blazers held a 12-6 lead early in the first quarter, but Minnesota responded with a 13-4 stretch to grab a 19-16 advantage. The Timberwolves would hold a 24-22 edge after one quarter of play.

The game remained close in the second quarter and the score was tied at 33-33 with just over seven minutes left in the half. That’s when Minnesota went on a 12-2 run to grab 10-point lead at 45-35. The Timberwolves would use that momentum and take a 56-48 cushion into the break.

Van Exel led all scorers with 20 points at halftime, while Sprewell paced Minnesota with 15.

Minnesota’s lead grew as large as 14 points in the third quarter when Ervin Johnson converted a three-point play to make it 65-51 with 8:22 left. The Blazers, however, made sure that the game didn’t get out of hand, as they cut the deficit to 74-69 at the end of three quarters.