Cold-shooting Wolves hit just enough to win

By JERRY ZGODA, Star Tribune

Last update: October 8, 2008 - 11:33 PM

BILLINGS, MONT. - Those plentiful three-point shot attempts about which Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman cursed under his breath earlier Wednesday night ultimately delivered the team an uneven 88-82 victory over Oklahoma City.

Ahead by 12 in the first quarter, trailing by nine early in the fourth, the Wolves moved to 2-0 in preseason play after Rodney Carney and Ryan Gomes broke open a tied game with fewer than three minutes remaining with consecutive three-point shots.

Rashad McCants led the Wolves with 15 points, 13 in the fourth quarter despite a 3-for-10 shooting night, before fouling out in the final 3 1/2 minutes. The Wolves made seven of 24 three-point shots two nights after shooting 58 percent from the field in Monday's runaway victory at Milwaukee.

"You've got to know when you've got it going and when you don't," Wittman said. "Monday night, those shots were going in. They don't go in like that every night."

Wittman was encouraged that his team's defensive intensity seldom wavered if its offensive execution did. A big difference in this game from last season: The Wolves got into the free-throw bonus in the fourth quarter and made nine of 10. The Thunder never did and shot only one free throw in the fourth.

"That's probably a game we would not have won last year," Wittman said.

Harrison to sign

The Wolves will sign former Indiana center David Harrison to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract while they're in Denver for Friday's preseason game.

Signing the 7-footer is a low-risk move for the Wolves, who are lacking center size with Jason Collins and Calvin Booth injured and Rafael Araujo perhaps headed for Europe.

Harrison, 26, was suspended by the NBA for five games last season for violating the league's anti-drug policy and was one of five Pacers charged in a brawl with Detroit Pistons fans in Nov. 2004. He was the only one of those five not suspended by the NBA.

"If he can get his head together, he's a talented kid," Wolves General Manager Jim Stack said. "We've told him to toe the line. We'll see how it goes."

Smith sits outs

Forward Craig Smith's surgically repaired knee swelled on the team's flight to Billings on Tuesday night and he was in uniform but did not play Wednesday. Smith had arthroscopic surgery in August after injuring the knee in the one Las Vegas Summer League game he played after signing a new two-year, $4.8 million contract.

"I don't have any concern right now," Wittman said when asked about the long-term health of Smith's knee. "We'll just see how it progresses in the next couple days."

Collins on track

Collins visited his own doctor in California on Wednesday to have his elbow checked. He had surgery last month after he ruptured a triceps tendon in a golf-cart accident.

His doctor cleared him to begin strengthening the elbow. He is expected to return to California for another examination in two weeks. Wittman said Collins remains on track to return in early November.

There's Calvin!

Booth, who has been sidelined all of the preseason so far because of back spasms, participated in the team's morning shootaround. Booth, 32, said he injured his back playing pickup games a week before training camp began.