Wittman earns first victory with end of streak

LOS ANGELES - There were short-, mid- and long-term implications to the Timberwolves' 101-87 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night at Staples Center.

Of immediate concern was the six-game losing streak that they finally ended, thanks to Kevin Garnett's 32 points, matching his season high, and a defense that caused 26 Clippers turnovers. That's the most by any opponent this season, and the Wolves scored 32 points off them.

With the streaking Phoenix Suns up next, there was an awareness in the ranks that seven losses in a row might well have turned into eight.

Next, there was the matter of new coach Randy Wittman's winless start. Wittman, promoted Tuesday with Dwane Casey's firing, had waited nearly six years for a second head coaching chance.

As this road trip ground on, it only felt as if he waited equally long for his first Wolves victory.

Leading by 11 points in the third quarter, the Wolves still were up 72-69 to start the fourth. Then, with Garnett on the bench, L.A. scored the game's next five points, taking its first lead since 10-9. Minnesota countered a few minutes later, however, with a 10-0 run, good for a 90-81 edge with 4:23 left.

The gain was not without pain. Garnett took a blow to the jaw early in the run, an offensive foul on Elton Brand in a duel of power forwards. Then Ricky Davis got hammered, a flagrant type-1 foul on Tim Thomas. Davis' free throws and a jumper by Garnett capped what amounted to a four-point play.

Brand led the Clippers with 25 points and 12 boards and Corey Maggette had 19 off the Clippers' bench. All five Minnesota starters scored in double figures.

In terms of the big picture, the game was about as pivotal as it gets for a pair of middle-of-the-pack teams in late January. For one thing, the Wolves (21-22) and the Clippers (21-22) are vying for playoff berths in the Western Conference. For another, it was the third and final meeting between the clubs this season; since each had won once, Saturday night's game was the potential tiebreaker, possibly dictating the standings and even the difference between a postseason appearance and a lottery fate.

"That's the first thing I told them today," Wittman said about an hour before tipoff. "This could be a tiebreaker, if it came down to that."

Then was one more long-term aspect to the game: Wolves guard Rashad McCants was on the active roster, suited up and on the bench for the first time since undergoing microfracture surgery on his right knee last June. It was strictly ceremonial -- Wittman told McCants he would not play under any circumstances Saturday night -- as Wittman's way to reward and motivate the second-year shooting guard in the late stages of his rehab.

When forward Justin Reed headed to Mississippi Saturday to attend to a family illness, Wittman pounced on the open roster spot.

"He's been working his [butt] off," Wittman said. "Being injured, you don't feel a part of the team. He is a part of the team. But I told him, 'You can't play. Even if we're up 30, you're not going in.' "

Steve Aschburner • saschburner@startribune.com