Streak's over: Wolves win, 108-99

Al Jefferson sat at his locker stall after tonight's game and talked in a slow, subdued manner.

It could have been almost any night during that franchise-record tying 16-game losing streak.

Except tonight, the Wolves won.

After he answered several questions from reporters, I asked Big Al if he was happy.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm happy," he said. "It's good to get this win. Oh, I'm not showing that I'm happy? It feels good to get the win, proves to the team that we can play hard and we can play great defense against a great, young team."

Al tied a career high with six blocks, three of them in one sequence against Kings forward Carl Landry early in the fourth quarter.

Darko Milicic had four (as well as 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Wolves' 10 blocked shots were a season high.

Ryan Gomes came within a point, a rebound and two asissts -- 9 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists -- of a triple double.

"Great to see three guys in double figures, rebounding, sharing the ball," Jefferson said. "It just proves we can play well and play the right way. One thing I have to realize: We play well when I play great defense. If I set a great example on the defensive end, that makes all the guys step up and play great `D.' It gives us a great chance to win."

Corey Brewer sat on the bench for the third quarter's final three minutes and the fourth's first nine and then was summoned for Wayne Ellington late when that 20-point lead dwindled.

In those final three-plus minutes, he scored the Wolves' final 10 points of the game -- the first three came on a three pointer, another three came on a three-point play. The last two came when he stole the ball from Tyreke Evans -- moments after Evans had taken the ball from Jonny Flynn and scored on a dunk -- and went in free for a slam of his own with 37 seconds left.

"Right when I was thinking Corey should be in -- no disrespect to Wayne -- he came in," Jefferson said. "Corey does a great job on Tyreke. He makes Tyreke think a lot beause he's so long and quick. Corey played great on him. He's a great point guard. I don't think no one will be able to stop him, but Corey did a great job maintaining him and making him think a lot."

"It has been a while to see anybody score in the clutch on our team," he said.

Tonight's victory was the Wolves' first since Feb. 23, when they won in Miami against a Heat team missing Dwyane Wade.

It was their first win at Target Center since they beat Memphis on Feb. 3.