T-Wolves End Nets’ Win Streak at 14 Games
Troy Hudson filled the shoes of Sam Cassell just fine, helping end the New Jersey Nets’ winning streak at 14 games.
Hudson, making his first start of the season in place of the injured Cassell, scored a season-high 29 points as Minnesota beat New Jersey 81-68 on Wednesday night, handing Nets coach Lawrence Frank his first loss.
Hudson, the streaky shooter who has been hampered all season by a sprained ankle, erased any hope for Frank’s 14th consecutive win with 12 fourth-quarter points. Hudson and Fred Hoiberg scored Minnesota’s first 20 points of the quarter, and the Wolves used a 15-0 run to open a 75-58 lead.
Hoiberg started the quarter with a 3-pointer and two foul shots before Hudson took over. He nailed a turnaround jumper from the perimeter, scored on a drive and hit another long jumper to bring the crowd to its feet.
Hoiberg then brought another roar from the crowd with a 3-pointer to make it 69-58. Hudson followed with two straight 3s, and the rout was on.
Kevin Garnett scored 18 points and Wally Szczerbiak, who missed 53 games with a plantar fascia strain, added a season-high 14 points.
Cassell was held out of the game with left ankle tendinitis, and Latrell Sprewell was held to three points on 1-for-6 shooting.
Kenyon Martin led the Nets with 18 points while Kerry Kittles and Jason Kidd each had 11. Richard Jefferson and Jason Collins each had 10 points.
Martin nearly had a double-double by halftime with 10 points and nine rebounds, but all of those points came in the first quarter.
The matchup between two of the NBA’s most exciting offenses didn’t fit the billing in the first half. Minnesota went only 5-for-20 in the first quarter while New Jersey built a 20-12 lead. But the Nets went cold to start the second while the Wolves scored 10 unanswered points.
The Wolves shot only 36.8 percent in the first half – the Nets didn’t fare much better at 39 percent.
It was the toughest test for New Jersey since Frank replaced Byron Scott as coach of the two-time defending Eastern Conference champions on Jan. 26. Only four of the Nets’ wins in their franchise-record streak were against teams with winning records.
Notes:@ The Nets went only 1-for-5 from the line. … Martin recorded his 24th double-double of the season. … Minnesota’s previous win against New Jersey was an 86-85 victory on March 31, 2002 at Target Center. … Garnett, Sprewell and Cassell are on the cover of the latest Sports Illustrated. Asked if he fears a jinx, Saunders said: “I know Michael (Jordan) has been on the cover a lot. So has Tiger Woods. They’ve had pretty good success after being on the cover.”