Timberwolves try to take series lead against Kings

Game 6 is scheduled for Sunday at ARCO Arena.

On Wednesday, Chris Webber poured in a game-high 28 points and grabbed eight rebounds, leading Sacramento to an 87-81 win over the Timberwolves in Game 4 of at ARCO Arena. All-Star Brad Miller scored 20 points off the bench and converted a clutch three-point play down the stretch for the Kings, who evened the series at two games apiece.

League MVP Kevin Garnett finished with 19 points and a game-best 21 rebounds in Game 4 for Minnesota, while All-Star Sam Cassell contributed 15 points and Latrell Sprewell posted 13 for Minnesota, which is 4-1 all-time in the playoffs when Garnett scores 30 or more points.

On the injury front, Sacramento guard Bobby Jackson is expected to remain out of the Kings lineup tonight, as he continues to battle an abdominal injury. Jackson was hopeful that he would play in Game 5. He has not played in the playoffs this year and was originally expected to miss the entire postseason.

Minnesota’s Wally Szczerbiak is expected to make his first appearance of the series tonight. Szczerbiak hasn’t played since he was injured in Game 2 of the first-round playoff series against the Nuggets when he broke three small bones in his back.

Minnesota is 2-1 all-time in Game 5s in the postseason. The Timberwolves, who are 4-1 at home in this year’s playoffs, are 8-10 all-time as the host in the postseason.

Sacramento is 4-1 in its last five Game 5s in the playoffs. The Kings are 2-5 in their last seven road games in the postseason.

The last time the Kings’ franchise won a best-of-seven series that saw them play the opener on the road was in 1981, when they called Kansas City home. The Kansas City Kings defeated the Phoenix Suns 4-3 in the conference semifinals.

The Kings are appearing in the Western Conference semifinals for the fourth straight year. Sacramento, which was swept out of the second round by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001, was eliminated in seven games by the Mavericks during last year’s semis. The Kings did defeat Dallas, 4-1, in the 2002 semifinals before losing in seven games to the Lakers in the conference finals.

This is the first time that the two squads have squared off in a playoff series.