Greetings one last time from the Target Center here Tuesday night.
This victory – much needed for a team embarking on a stretch of four games in five nights – was much needed. But did it have to be this hard? In a performance that mimicked and up and down season, the Wolves raced to a 25-point second quarter lead only to see it trimmed to seven once in the third quarter and once again in the fourth.
As a result, both Kevin Love and Kevin Martin – who combined for 63 points – each had to play more than 40 minutes with a date in Oklahoma City Wednesday night.
Oh, well.
Here are some late-night observations from tonight's game:
--I find it amazing that Lakers guard Steve Nash, days away from his 40th birthday – was able to come out after barely playing this season and play nearly 25 minutes. And look good doing it. He only scored seven points, but he had nine assists, and the difference he makes on the court is amazing.
--It was great to see Martin continue his aggressive play. Yes, he went through stretches when his shot wasn't falling. But he scored 14 first-quarter points as the Wolves built a lead. And he scored six more in the fourth.
--For a fellow whose calling card is defense, I thought Corey Brewer struggled tonight, particularly against Nick Young, who came off the bench to score 24 points, getting to the line 14 times.
