Wolves 100, New Jersey 90

As the season moved from fall to winter to the edge of spring, Timberwolves coach Dwane Casey asked for patience when it came to rookie Rashad McCants.

The confidence was there, no question. The ability was real, if raw. When McCants started putting it all together? Watch out.

Wednesday it was: Watch this.

A quick disclaimer after the Wolves' 100-90 victory over New Jersey at Target Center: McCants' season will probably continue to resemble a roller coaster. Thrilling highs with the occasional terrifying drop. That's just a rookie reality.

But against the Nets it was a joy ride.

McCants set career highs in points (21) and assists (three) and tied his best with six rebounds.

He hit seven of nine shots, all three three-pointers and generally was knee deep in every crucial aspect of the game.

He came off the bench to score 13 points -- including three three-pointers -- in the second quarter, helping the Wolves turn a one-point deficit into a nine-point halftime lead. In the decisive fourth quarter he had six points, five rebounds and two assists as the Wolves held the Nets at bay.

"The growth process he is going through is phenomenal," Casey said. "I told him keep it going, don't get complacent, stay hungry, stay focused."

McCants wasn't the only story. Kevin Garnett scored 26 points and had 16 rebounds. Justin Reed continued his growth, coming off the bench to score a career-high 14 points in a career-best 29-plus minutes.

And then there was the defense. A night after being pick-and-rolled to death in Chicago, the Wolves came out and played it almost letter-perfect, a big reason the Wolves improved to 3-8 in the second half of back-to-back games this season. Yes, both Vince Carter (29 points) and Richard Jefferson (25 points) got theirs. But Marcus Banks early and Marko Jaric late combined to keep Nets point guard Jason Kidd under control. It had Casey both happy and perplexed.

"It's amazing," he said of his players. "One day you look like you've never been coached in pick-and-roll schemes. Tonight they put on a clinic."

Said Garnett: "In Chicago we had a few letdowns on what our [defensive] assignments were. Tonight we were executing on the defensive end. For the most part, we all played together defensively. It probably won the game for us."

Especially in the fourth quarter, when the Wolves held the Nets under 40 percent shooting in large part by slowing their big scorers; Jefferson and Carter combined to shoot 4-for-11 in the fourth.

But the story Wednesday was a young player taking another step. McCants hit five of six shots in the second quarter, dishing two assists. But in the fourth quarter, in crunch time, he played well, all-around.

With the Nets within three early in the quarter, McCants cut into the lane, took a pass from Garnett and scored. Moments later, McCants hit two free throws that put the Wolves up by nine; the Nets never got closer than five again.

McCants had two points and two assists -- including a pretty back-door pass to Garnett with 1½ minutes left -- in the closing moments.

No question, McCants is on the move. He's scored his season high in consecutive games. In his past seven games he is shooting 52.7 percent (29-for-55) and has hit on 29 of 60 three-pointers since Jan. 1. And his defense has improved.

"I think I showed a lot of progress to this point," he said. "Coach definitely stuck with me, teaching me the lessons throughout the whole season."

"With 50-plus games under his belt he understands a lot of things that are going to be expected of him," Garnett said. "I think he's coming into his own a little bit. Part of that is him wanting that, and part of it is him having the opportunity to go out and do the things he knows he can do."

Seems lately, each night McCants is getting more opportunity.