Wolves get win streak to grow on

The Timberwolves are halfway done. More importantly, they might be partway home.

Witness: Wednesday. After a heartbreaker in Denver on Saturday and a victory at Golden State on Monday, Wolves coach Randy Wittman said his team had played its best back-to-back games of the season. Wednesday, in a 117-107 victory over Phoenix at Target Center, they made it three.

And two.

At the official halfway point of the season the Wolves ran, worked, rebounded and passed their way past the Suns. It was the Wolves' third consecutive strong game, their second victory in a row. That hasn't happened around here since Feb. 14, 2007 -- 343 days, for those who are counting.

This is a real, live winning streak, one made better by the impression that it's not a fluke.

"I really believe our team is starting to grow a little bit, through a lot of adversity," Wittman said. "... I really sense we've kind of passed a road block with this team here."

While beating Phoenix -- the best team in the Western Conference -- for the second time this season the Wolves got a monster performance from Al Jefferson. He scored a career-high 39 points and had 15 rebounds, eight offensive.

Jefferson scored 14 in the first quarter, 10 in the second. And he had nine in the fourth quarter, showing such determination that the Suns ended up throwing just about everybody at him.

But it's what the Wolves did after that happened that had everybody so encouraged. With Jefferson draped with defenders, the Wolves spent the latter part of the fourth quarter stepping up and making shots:

• Ryan Gomes hit a 21-footer at 3:53 after a 19-point Wolves lead with 6:42 left had dwindled to 11 at 2:41, then hit a runner off the glass with 52 seconds left for a 12-point lead.

• Sebastian Telfair drained a three-pointer at 1:59.

For the second consecutive game the Wolves got double-digit scoring from five players, including Corey Brewer's 13 off the bench. But it was when many of those points where scored that mattered most: late, in crunch time. Wittman spent the first half of the season watching a team afraid to shoot down the stretch. Wednesday it was as if they were waiting in line.

"Guys don't have the look of 'Who's going to bail us out?'"Wittman said.

Gomes had 14 points and nine boards -- five on the offensive end -- for a team that outrebounded Phoenix 48-26 and got 26 second-chance points. Guards Marko Jaric and Telfair combined for 28 points, 18 assists ... and only two turnovers.

The Wolves played a crazy first half -- matching their season high of 65 points -- and a serious second half. They built a 19-point lead midway through the fourth quarter and withstood the Suns' inevitable run.

"[Before], when they made a run we put our head down,'' Jefferson said. " Now we keep playing. ... It's time, now, time to turn this thing around, get our confidence up, try to finish out the season strong."

Afterward the Wolves already seemed to at least signal that turn.

"We're playing as well as we can play right now, especially on the defensive end," Telfair said. "We're talking, communicating. ... It's unbelievable. This is a good feeling."

Added Gomes: "The way we played in Denver carried over to Golden State. That carried over to tonight. You have to build on things to have confidence. That's what's happening with us."

Suns coach Mike D'Antoni agreed.

"They played extremely well," D'Antoni said. "I think they have kind of turned a corner."