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Improved ball movement has Wittman hopeful

  • Article by: Kent Youngblood , Star Tribune
  • Updated: March 7, 2007 - 9:49 PM

So, what was the first thing Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman wanted to talk about Tuesday night after his team's double-overtime victory over the Lakers?

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So, what was the first thing Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman wanted to talk about Tuesday night after his team's double-overtime victory over the Lakers?

No, it wasn't Mark Blount's three-point onslaught, Ricky Davis' last-second heroics or Randy Foye's soaring follow that iced the game in the second overtime.

It was ball movement. Wittman has been trying to get his team to play a certain way on offense -- getting into the flow of the offense quickly, moving the ball in an unselfish way, making the extra pass. On Tuesday, the Wolves had 29 assists on 42 baskets -- this after 32 assists on 44 baskets in a double-overtime loss in Boston on Saturday.

"It's two games now that we've kind of played, from an offensive standpoint, the way I'd like to see us play," Wittman said. "Sharing the ball. Like I said to the team afterward, this is a team win."

Five players had at least three assists Tuesday, with Ricky Davis coming up two assists short of a triple-double.

There were problems, though -- the Wolves turned over the ball 21 times. But they seem to be buying into Wittman's offensive style.

"That's how you play basketball, actually," Davis said. "It's finding one another, making plays for one another. It's putting us in position to win games."

Point three

With Troy Hudson back in the starting lineup, Wittman faces the challenge of using his point guards -- Hudson, Foye and Mike James -- in a constructive way.

Wittman intends to continue to use all three, with playing time determined by how each is playing on a given night.

Coming off a big day in Boston, Hudson struggled early Tuesday, and Wittman responded quickly by inserting Foye. James was worked into the mix in the second half.

"I have all three guys I know I can count on," Wittman said.

Said Kevin Garnett: "[Wittman] uses them at the right times to create mismatches. ... It's a great mesh.

"You don't want to have a rotation of 12 like we've been doing, but, at this point, we're trying to figure out what's the best way to win these games."

Kent Youngblood • kyoungblood@startribune.com

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LA Lakers 82 1st OT 4:40
Boston 82
Golden State 60 3rd Qtr 8:05
Denver 53
Houston 63 3rd Qtr 4:36
Phoenix 65
Oklahoma City 9:30 PM
Sacramento
St. Louis 4 FINAL(SO)
New Jersey 3
Montreal 4 FINAL
NY Islanders 2
Tampa Bay 3 FINAL(OT)
NY Rangers 4
Toronto 3 FINAL
Philadelphia 4
Winnipeg 3 FINAL(SO)
Washington 2
Dallas 4 FINAL
Columbus 2
Nashville 3 FINAL
Ottawa 4
Los Angeles 1 FINAL
Florida 3
Vancouver 5 3rd Prd 1:13
Minnesota 2
Calgary 0 2nd Prd 1:58
Phoenix 1
(21) Wisconsin 68 FINAL
Minnesota 61
Ole Miss 60 FINAL
(20) Miss State 70
Illinois 71 FINAL
(23) Indiana 84
Tennessee St 72 FINAL
(9) Murray State 68
(16) St Marys-CA 10:00 PM
Gonzaga
Old Dominion 63 FINAL
(12) Delaware 76
Wisconsin 54 FINAL
(18) Penn State 69
(5) Duke 71 FINAL
Boston College 62
(8) Maryland 91 FINAL
Clemson 61
Detroit 70 FINAL
(9) Green Bay 58
(10) Ohio State 65 FINAL
Illinois 66
(24) South Carolina 47 FINAL
Arkansas 68
Michigan 63 FINAL
(13) Nebraska 52
U-S-C 35 2nd Half 11:40
(4) Stanford 48
(19) Gonzaga 31 2nd Half 10:54
B-Y-U 41
(11) Tennessee 52 2nd Half 12:06
Vanderbilt 52

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