Duel in the Deseret: Wolves and Flynn prevail at Utah, 110-108

David Kahn was talking after the morning shootaround in Salt Lake City today, looking everywhere for light in his team's 3-21 start.

He found it in this tidbit: His team already had matched last season's Wolves team by winning twice in their three victories over Western Conference playoff teams, assuming, of course, Denver and Utah both reach the playoffs.

Make that three.

The Wolves now are 4-21 and two of those victories came within nine days over the Jazz and the other came at the mighty Nuggets.

Tonight, they won at Utah, something the Lakers, Orlando and San Antonio all couldn't do in just the last week.

They won for the third consecutive time over Utah -- and for the second consecutive time at hostile EnergySolutions Arena, dating back to last April -- on Jonny Flynn's driving banked shot with 3 seconds left, made possible after a timeout from a Kevin Love screen.

Kurt Rambis put the game in Flynn's hands not long after he sat for two minutes down the stretch after collecting his fifth foul trying to defend Williams. His 28 points were a career high, and 19 of them came in the first half.

"We were just looking for him to create," Rambis said. "At some point in time, he's going to be one of those guys who's going to be very difficult contain either in isolation or pick-and-roll situations. This entire season -- and one or two after -- are going to be growing up periods for him. So I want to give him those opportunities to see hwat he can do in those late-game situations.

"He delivered for us tonight."

The Wolves led by eight points with 10 minutes left and trailed by three with less than three minutes left.

"Jonny had a helluva of a game," Al Jefferson said. "I am really proud of him. He didn't give up. We knew they were going to make that run. When thye made it, we just kept going back at them. We just rolled Jonny back and he took us there."

Corey Brewer tied the career scoring high he set last month against Denver with 22 on a night when they had three guys (Al Jefferson was the other, with a 23-12 double double) score more than 20 points.

The Wolves, with Jefferson and Kevin Love combining for 26, outrebounded the Jazz 48-36. The Jazz missed 16 of 37 free throws. The Wolves missed 9 of 34, including four in a row by Jefferson down the stretch.

"They played a great basketball game," said Utah star Carlos Boozer, who fouled out on a charging call into Brewer with 26.7 secondsd left. "How come we can get up for everyone else but not Minnesota? We'll fix it, though. We have a short memory."

Afterward, Flynn called williams "the toughest point guard I've played.

"I've played CP, I've played Nash and Baron Davis," he said, referring to Chris Paul and Steve Nash. "He's the total package. Strong, great handle, can shoot the ball, comes off screen like a '2' guards and post up like Al Jefferson."

There was a scary moment in the fourth quarter when Jefferson tried to draw a charge and ended up on the clutching his surgically repaired right knee after getting it knocked by Willams' knee.

Apparently, he wasn't worried about hurting his back.