KG Leads Wolves to Surprise Victory Over Fakers

KG's Rookie Season
11/8/1995
It didn't take Kevin Garnett long to get special attention at center court after a Timberwolves game at Target Center.Not only was he interviewed Tuesday night at midcourt after being named the player of the game in his first NBA regular-season home game, his mother, Shirley Irby, surprised him by running onto the floor to give him a hug.

Garnett did not know his mother had flown in from their hometown of Mauldin, S.C., for the Wolves' 93-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. ``I've had this ritual of not speaking to him before a game since he was in junior high school,'' Irby said. ``I surprised him again.'' Garnett might have surprised the Lakers. The 19-year-old rookie had eight points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals. Three of the rebounds came in the crucial third quarter, when the Wolves turned the game around.

Garnett was on the floor with Rider at the end, but it was in the third quarter when he made things happen. Garnett had three rebounds, a steal and a blocked shot in a crucial stretch that saw the Wolves erase a 62-55 deficit. The kid was playing so well that veteran forward Sam Mitchell told Blair to leave Garnett in the game when Blair wanted to send Mitchell in to replace him for the tense finish.

``I can feel that the fans and my teammates want me to do well,'' said Garnett, the Wolves' first-round draft pick this year. ``I've always been taught to stress teamwork first. The NBA is another level, but it's still basketball, and the same things apply.'' A big roar for Garnett came early in the second quarter. The Woofies were down seven, when the lean, 6-foot-11 wunderkind Garnett made a three-pointer and then a lay-up. On the next play, L.A.'s Vlade Divac spun inside and sent a floater toward the basket. Garnett soared and spanked the ball viciously to the floor. The strike-breaking officials called it goaltending, but this did not deter the fans from letting out a 20-second standing ovation for the kid.

Lakers' guard Nick Van Exel missed a last-second shot that would have sent the Wolves (1-2) to their third in a row. Instead, they were celebrating a much-improved bench and the impressive performance of Garnett, who was among the reserve group of Porter, Rooks, Isaiah Rider and Marques Bragg that put a spark into the Wolves.

Wolves Grab Garnett

KG's Rookie Season
June 29, 1995

So finally it came to this: If the NBA's fickle lottery system never is going to reward the Timberwolves with a No. 1 overall pick, then the league's second-most beleaguered franchise decided it would get one by itself.

KG has Career Night in Loss

KG's Rookie Year
11/16/1995

The Timberwolves have difficulty with the San Antonio Spurs, and Wednesday night's game at Target Center was no exception. The Spurs' 105-96 victory was further proof that the Wolves' turnaround has not yet begun. The loss was the third straight for the Wolves (1-5) despite a career night for 19-year-old rookie Kevin Garnett. Garnett had 19 points and eight rebounds. The Wolves dropped to 3-28 lifetime against the Spurs.

Whenever the Wolves play the Spurs (5-2), the focus usually falls on David Robinson. Last season's NBA most valuable player didn't let a teen-ager upstage him, pouring in 30 points and collecting 12 rebounds in 29 minutes. Sean Elliott complemented Robinson with 21 points. Tom Gugliotta, doing most of the inside work with Christian Laettner on the injured list with an ankle sprain, finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds. But Gugliotta, like his teammates, wilted in the second half. Gugliotta had only four points in the second half. The Wolves shot 39 percent (31 of 78), the fourth game in which they shot below 40 percent.

Spurs guard Avery Johnson made a free throw and fed Robinson for an alley-oop dunk to build a 95-87 lead with 3:53 remaining. The Wolves trailed only 91-87 with 6:56 left after Sean Rooks' hook shot over Robinson. They had three chances to tie or take the lead but came up empty on each possession. Gugliotta missed two shots, one a three-pointer, and Micheal Williams had the ball stolen by Johnson.

Behind Garnett's inspiring play, the Wolves cut into a 13-point deficit to trail 85-78 by the end of the third quarter. Garnett blocked a shot by J.R. Reid and scored the Wolves' last six points of the quarter, four on impressive tip-ins. Robinson's jumper had given the Spurs an 82-68 lead with 3:28 left in the third quarter. The Wolves seemed to get caught flat-footed trying to locate guard Vinny Del Negro. Del Negro got the Spurs off to a fast start in the period with 12 points, including two three-pointers over Doug West.

Already angered by Del Negro's flurry, West lost his cool when Gugliotta hit the floor hard on a drive to the basket and a foul was not called. Replacement referee William Kennedy hit West with two technical fouls, an automatic ejection. Robinson made the technical free throw to put the Spurs up 76-66 with 5:09 left in the quarter. West's outburst came when the Spurs were taking over the game after a sluggish second quarter.

The Wolves took advantage of cold shooting by the Spurs in the second quarter and Robinson's foul problems to take a 59-57 lead at halftime. Robinson picked up his third foul with 7:16 left in the quarter and sat out the rest of the period. If not for the foul trouble, Robinson might have had even more impressive numbers. He had made six of his first nine shots to open with a quick 15 points, 14 in the first quarter.

After Robinson left the game, the Spurs made only four field goals the rest of the half. They finished the second quarter shooting 5 for 22 (23 percent), which helped the Wolves make a run just before halftime. Trailing 52-47, the Wolves went on a 12-2 spurt highlighted by two fast-break baskets by rookie Mark Davis. Garnett started the run with an inside move. Rooks added two free throws and Gugliotta converted a layup and two free throws.

Gugliotta, who posted his fourth double double (points and rebounds) this season in the first half, was the Wolves' most active player. He had 16 points and 10 rebounds at intermission.
Nine of his points came at the free-throw line, an indication of the Wolves' determination to take the ball inside with Robinson playing soft because of foul problems.

Garnett Being Thrown to Wolves

KG's Rookie Year
11/9/1995

The education of Kevin Garnett continues, with gold stars, eraser marks and about 77 more pop quizzes between now and the end of the season. In his one and only course of post-secondary curriculum - NBA 101 - Garnett has had mostly good days, surprising fans, impressing rivals and reassuring the Timberwolves that they made a sound draft pick. Against the Houston Rockets last Saturday, however, he had a rough night.

Garnett's Game-Face Getting Attention

KG's Rookie Season
11/8/1995

There was still more than an hour left before Kevin Garnett's first regular-season NBA game in his new home arena, and he already looked unhappy about it. He didn't look 19 years old, either. Not with that scowl. Trying hard to concentrate on Tuesday night's game against the Los Angeles Lakers, and, like his teammates, peeved by the Wolves' 0-2 start on the road, Garnett wasn't talking.

Garnett Makes Pro Debut

 

KG's Rookie Season
11/4/1995

The Timberwolves are still, well, the Timberwolves. Turnarounds don't come easy for this team. As a matter of fact, nothing comes easy for the Wolves, especially victories in NBA regular-season openers. The Wolves lost another one Friday night, falling to the Sacramento Kings 95-86 at Arco Arena.

The Wolves will remember their fifth consecutive loss in season openers as one of the nights they couldn't shoot straight. Despite pulling down 17 offensive rebounds, the Wolves made only 29 of 79 shots, allowing the Kings to roll to a relatively easy victory. ``When you get as many as offensive boards as we did, you'd think we win,'' Wolves guard Terry Porter said. ``Not to take anything away from Sacramento, but if we make the shots we had, we could have had this one.''

Kevin Garnett, the first player to jump from high school to the NBA in 20 years, had eight points and one assist in his pro debut. Garnett was 4 for 4 from the floor, but few noticed in the wake of the Wolves' poor shooting.Garnett made his regular-season debut with 5:55 left in the quarter, and scored his first points about 2 minutes later, a bank shot on a feed underneath from Gugliotta.
Garnett got even more comfortable in the second quarter, threading two nice passes during a stretch in which the Wolves outscored the Kings 7-0. He did not look overwhelmed. "Kevin handled himself very nicely," said Blair. "Kevin has a good idea of how to play."

Garnett Shines in First Exhibition Game

KG's Rookie SeasonOctober 15, 1995

Timberwolves vice president Kevin McHale is trying to add a strong veteran influence to the team. Experience often translates into victories. That's usually how it works. But the Wolves' younger generation insisted on not being left out of the process Saturday night. Kevin Garnett, Mark Davis and Jerome Allen gave the Wolves a peek into what could be a bright future with impressive performances in the Wolves' 106-98 exhibition victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at Barnett Center.

Garnett, playing in his first NBA exhibition at 19, was the featured attraction for the crowd of 4,564. His 13 points, three assists and three rebounds showed he might be ready for a quick ascension to the pros directly from high school. ``It still hasn't sunk in yet that I'm in the NBA,'' Garnett said. ``Me and friend of mine were talking about that the other day. To me, it's just like playing some ball.''

Wolves coach Bill Blair wanted to give the rookies a chance to get the jitters out of the way. What he saw might have surprised him. Garnett showed poise, Davis showed a flash of the spectacular, and Allen showed he might be able to run the Wolves' offense when needed. ``I'm really pleased with our young guys,'' Blair said. ``They give us a different look than we've had before. We're much quicker and that's really important for us.''

Davis scored 19 points in only nine minutes of action. Allen played 21 minutes and had two points, five assists and no turnovers. But all eyes appeared to be on Garnett, who got a surprise visit from his mother. Mrs. Garnett and a friend drove to the game from Minneapolis without telling her son. ``I tried to get his attention, but he didn't see me,'' Mrs. Garnett said. ``He was really focused on what he was doing.''

It is obvious Garnett could be a special story this season. He was the only Wolves player pictured in the souvenir game program for fans. Milwaukee's Glenn Robinson was the Bucks' featured player in the program. Coincidence? Or just an early attempt to get Garnett ready for the big time? When Garnett got up to check in at the scorer's table with 2:29 left in the first quarter, fans started to buzz. The crowd gave him a loud ovation when he stepped onto the court to replace Doug West.

Garnett missed his first shot, a short jumper, but he converted a fast-break layup moments later off a pass from Darrick Martin. More cheers. Garnett remained in the game until 3:43 remained in the second quarter. He had nine points, including a three-pointer, and two turnovers. He appeared exhausted when Davis replaced him. Davis used the final 3:43 to make a major statement for his potential role with the club. He made his first attempt, a leaning bank shot off the dribble.

Davis ended the short stint with a team-high 12 points, including a three-point play and a desperation three-pointer inside the halfcourt line to beat the halftime buzzer.
Garnett and Davis combined to score 21 of the Wolves' 33 points off the bench in the first half.

Garnett Plays 38 Minutes, Opens Some Eyes

KG's Rookie Season
October 28, 1995

The Minnesota Timberwolves moved to 6-1 in preseason, and rookie Kevin Garnett played a game-high 38 minutes and filled in for the absent veterans with 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals. The Wolves played the final six minutes with Michael Williams, Christian Laettner, Tom Gugliotta (nine points, six rebounds), Mark Davis and Garnett.``Coach Bill Blair could have played me until four in the morning if he wanted to,'' Garnett said. ``I'm glad the coaches are starting to have the confidence in me.''

Opponents are shooting more than 5 percentage points less against the Wolves (down to 42.2 percent from 47.4) in the seven games, a tribute to more aggressive defense and perhaps the wingspan of 6-foot-11 rookie Kevin Garnett. Garnett, who leads the Wolves in blocked shots (11), makes his Target Center debut tonight. The learning process has been rough at times, but Garnett has not embarrassed the club as a kid playing a man's game. The high school phenom is averaging 9.0 points and 5.1 rebounds and leads the team in minutes per game at 26.3.

Garnett May Have to Fight for Spot in Rotation

KG's Rookie Season 
 October 25, 1995

Rookie Kevin Garnett might have to fight for a spot in the rotation. He played only 14 minutes and was 0 for 4 from the floor. Garnett also had the misfortune of trying to contain Bucks forward Glenn Robinson, who had a game-high 34 points. ``Kevin got lit up tonight, but the guy he was guarding had something to do with that,'' Blair said.

Wolves Sign Garnett

KG's Rookie Season
October 3, 1995

Yesterday the Minnesota Timberwolves officially welcomed Kevin Garnett. The 19-year-old signed a three-year contract worth about $4.6 million. Garnett, who bypassed college to enter the NBA draft, will earn $1.325 million this season, $1.554 million in 1996-97 and $1.757 million in 1997-98 according to the rookie wage scale established for the No. 5 pick in the new collective bargaining agreement.

Bill Willoughby Offers Advice to Garnett

June 28, 1995
KG's Rookie Year

Bill Willoughby, who jumped from high school to the NBA in 1975, had some observations and recommendations for 19-year-old Wolves draftee Kevin Garnett:

On skipping college: ``He could sign a contract worth $30 million or $40 million, and people are telling him to go to college? Come on. ... Few people have that kind of opportunity, a chance to put money in the bank and be secure.''

On playing time: ``I told Kevin to stay confident and love the game, even if he's coming off the bench in the last 10 minutes. But deep down I know the only way to be happy is if you're playing. If the coach keeps him sitting, he'll have trouble. If they give Kevin the ball, just like if they'd given it to me, he'll be an all-star.''

On making the adjustment to the NBA: ``He's not just a ballplayer now, he's a professional. It's a man's game.''

On ego: ``He's already on the cover of magazines, on TV. ... He's ahead of a lot of 19-year-olds right now, but they'll catch up.''

On financial advisers (Willoughby says he was swindled out of much of the money he earned in eight NBA seasons: ``They'll tell you they're taking care of your money and instead they're ripping you off. I told Kevin to put his own money in the bank.''

KG: A Mix Between Shawn Kemp and Moses Malone

Kevin Garnett's Rookie Season

June 26, 1995

The praise for a 19-year-old basketball player fresh out of high school is starting to border on evangelism. Kevin Garnett, who made Sports Illustrated's cover this week, is described this way by New Jersey Nets assistant coach Jerry Eaves: "This kid shoots it, passes it, and handles it better than Shawn Kemp does right now. He's Shawn Kemp with court skills and Moses Malone with explosiveness."There is no question that in the weeks leading up to the draft, Garnett has emerged as the most intriguing name of all. He could be revolutionary: a 6-11 player whose best position will be small forward, not because he is that soft but because he is that athletic.

How many times does a team get a chance to pick a future No. 1 guy with the fifth pick? It's obvious that the league already has fixed the lottery to ensure that the Wolves' lotto ball will never come up No. 1.

Garnett Takes Floor in First Training Camp

KG's Rookie SeasonOctober 7, 1995

Kevin Garnett was so anxious about his first day of training camp that he forgot to eat his Wheaties, or whatever he normally chows down for breakfast. The 19-year-old rookie was regretting the missed meal after his frustrating debut with the Timberwolves on Friday. His performance in the Wolves' first practice of training camp prompted teammates, coaches and management to give him pep talks to help him maintain his confidence.

``He was getting down on himself in some of the shooting drills, and you could tell he was upset and just throwing the ball up there,'' guard Isaiah Rider said. ``He's taking a lot in, but I told him he needs to relax and let it flow.'' ``I knew camp was going to be hard, but I should have eaten something this morning,'' Garnett said. ``You need energy to go through this.''

The former high school phenom said he didn't settle down until about an hour into the morning workout on the first day of training camp. Before that, shots he routinely makes weren't falling and certain drills occasionally made him look overmatched. Shortly after the Wolves concluded their first practice, vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale, player personnel director Rob Babcock, assistant coach Mike Schuler and general manager Flip Saunders huddled with the youngster to reassure him. ``All of a sudden, he's guarding guys like Doug West, Isaiah and some pretty good former college and CBA players,'' coach Bill Blair said. ``There are no more high school kids on the floor. What he doesn't understand right now is the level of jump he has made.''

But no one was ready to say Garnett should have gone to college. If Garnett had no talent or potential, numerous teams wouldn't have been tripping over themselves trying to land him in the draft. The Wolves saw Friday what they expected - that Garnett, despite his skill level, will have a major adjustment period. Garnett got his biggest confidence boost from Rider, who has had his share of tough times in Minnesota. Entering his third year in the league and with the Wolves, Rider showed uncharacteristic leadership Friday, along with several other players, to keep Garnett from being too hard on himself.

``We're not going to baby him, but we don't want to be easy on him, either,'' Rider said. ``I told him this is just the beginning. There's a long way to go.'' At least Garnett didn't suffer any rookie hazing. Second-round pick Jerome Allen, trying to make the team as a backup point guard, had a jump shot rejected by Sam Mitchell and then had to hear about it. Mitchell immediately pointed his finger near Allen's face and did some trash talking as he ran downcourt.

Garnett's NBA welcome was a little less embarrassing. ``When I asked questions, nobody was snobbish with their answers,'' Garnett said. ``Everybody was pretty helpful. The players were telling me they went through the same thing their first time out. ``I was still mad at myself because I know I can do better than that. Some of the drills we were doing I knew about in high school. I'm not the type of guy to give up. The worst thing you can do is, when you're messing up, to quit.'' ``How long we work and how hard we work is totally new to him,'' Blair said. ``But he'll get the hang of that. The main thing for him is to ask when he doesn't understand something.'' Blair fashions himself as a teacher, and now he is getting his chance to really be one.

T-Wolves Finish Preseason 7-1, as KG Makes Home Debut

KG's Rookie Season
October 29, 1995

Rare words of praise flowed after Saturday's game. Miami coach Pat Riley said the Timberwolves look ``exciting.'' Former coach Jack Ramsay, ESPN's NBA analyst, strolled through the locker room and told several players, ``You guys are going to be good this year.''

The Wolves appreciated the comments, but they downplayed their 96-94 victory over Miami at Target Center - even though they ended up with the NBA's best exhibition record at 7-1. ``That's over,'' Wolves veteran Doug West said. ``This is done. Our goal now is to come to practice on Monday and get ready for Friday.''

The tone of a winner? Rather than revel in the excitement of Saturday's victory, the Wolves turned their focus to Friday's regular-season opener at Sacramento. They left the celebrating to the crowd of 9,898, which saw the Wolves erase an 18-point deficit in the third quarter and make clutch plays in the fourth.

Rookie Kevin Garnett, making his home debut, finished with 10 points and three rebounds. Garnett's two free throws late in the third quarter gave the Wolves a 71-69 lead, their first since the opening tip. The high school phenom drew a loud ovation from the crowd after scoring the Wolves' first points of the game on an inside move.

Wolves Looking at Sheed

Kevin Garnett's Rookie Season

 June 25, 1995

While the consensus seems to be that the Wolves will pick Kevin Garnett, 19, fresh out of high school in Chicago, if he's available, there are indications that Garnett might move up a notch to Washington, leaving the Wolves to decide between Rasheed Wallace of North Carolina and Ed O'Bannon of UCLA.

Raptors Making a Play for Garnett

Kevin Garnett's Rookie Season

 June 24, 1995

Charlotte has offered the 22nd pick in Wednesday's college draft and forward Darrin Hancock for BJ Armstrong. Washington has discussed swapping its fourth pick for the Raptors' seventh pick Wednesday for Armstrong. Toronto then would select Chicago prep star Kevin Garnett with the fourth pick.

Garnett Should Have Gone to College

KG's Rookie Season
St. Paul Pioneer Press (MN)
July 11, 1995

You've heard a lot about Kevin Garnett, the high school kid who was the fifth pick in the National Basketball Association draft by the Timberwolves. Well, here is something else to know about young Mr. Garnett: If he ends up being a great NBA player, it will be an absolute miracle.

Imagine being Kevin Garnett. One day, you are a 19-year-old high school kid; the next day, you are worth $40 million. What did you do to make the money? Nothing, other than win the NBA lottery - and you won the lottery because you failed to score high enough on the SAT or ACT to qualify to play as a freshman at the college of your choice.

If you had answered just a few more questions right, you probably would be starting for Steve Fisher at Michigan this season. Garnett probably doesn't realize it, but being a freshman at Michigan would be far better for him than being a kid in NBA - regardless of the money. I know, I'm not the one looking to collect all that cash. Even if the NBA can implement its rookie salary cap, Garnett will make $1.4 million next season. The No. 5 pick last year, Juwan Howard, signed for $37 million over 10 years.

But handing a high school kid $40 million does not make him an NBA player. Just try to tell him that. Imagine being Garnett and having all these adults genuflect at the mere mention of your name. Imagine pocketing a $3 million bonus before your first day of training camp.Why would you listen to any coach? What kind of a person are you likely to become?

Six weeks ago, Garnett was at his high school prom. Those college tests were getting him down, and his friends were telling him: ``Man, you don't need college. Why not just do it? Go for the NBA now.'' Life's a Nike commercial, right? A month ago, the 6-foot-10, 220-pound Garnett was supposed to be a low first-round pick. Then he went to predraft camp in Chicago. He didn't play against any of the college or Continental Basketball Association players competing for the NBA sleuths.

All Garnett did was work out - by himself - and the scouts nearly drowned in their drool watching this kid dribble, shoot, jump and take part in individual drills.
Minnesota drafted him at No. 5. Everyone is assuming that Garnett's natural gifts will guarantee him a terrific NBA career. Does anyone really know this? Do the names Danny Ferry, Pervis Ellison and Bo Kimble sound familiar? These guys had great college careers, and supposedly couldn't miss but did.

When it comes to Garnett, it seems as though the people who should know better aren't giving the NBA the respect the league deserves. Garnett isn't strong enough to guard power forwards, so he is supposed to be a small forward. But he's 6-10, and most of them are 6-7. Imagine what a Scottie Pippen or even Grant Hill will do when this kid tries to defend them. The kid is going to struggle and draw an alarming number of fouls. And Minnesota already is overloaded with lottery pick forwards - Christian Laettner, J.R. Rider and Tom Gugliotta.

How is the 1995 MVP of the McDonald's High School All-American Game going to like serious pine time? Even if he is the greatest high school player to come straight to the NBA since Moses Malone - and Malone is the only prep player to take this route and reach his full potential - the social pressures on Garnett will be enormous. In the past few years, he has lived some of the time with his mother, and some of the time with ``friends.'' He said that his mother will move to Minnesota to be near him, but they won't live in the same house.

The Timberwolves are lining up a family to take care of Garnett. But you also can be sure that the leeches are coming out from under the rocks ready to latch on, too.
Would college have helped Garnett? When you are 19, two years is the same as 20 in terms of physical and mental maturity. ``If he had gone to college, Kevin would have been the No. 1 pick in two years,'' said Minnesota general manager Kevin McHale.
What's wrong with that? What's the rush? And before this is over, don't be surprised if both the Timberwolves and Garnett wish they had waited those two years.

KG Making Most of Limited Minutes

KG's Rookie Year
November 30, 1995

A bench manned by four rookies and two veterans contributed a season-high 49 points in the Timberwolves' 121-98 victory over Vancouver on Tuesday. Guard Micheal Williams led the subs with 18 points, and the reserves, as a group, sparked a dominant final quarter in which the Wolves outscored the Grizzlies 38-18. After losing nine of their first 10 games, the Timberwolves finally have their first winning streak.

Minnesota shot 60 percent Sunday, and the past two games are the only times the Wolves have made at least as many shots as they missed. The 121 points are a season-high, surpassing Sunday's 105 total. The Timberwolves started clicking in the second quarter when Laettner scored six points and rookie Kevin Garnett came off the bench for five points, plus a couple of rebounds, two steals, a block and one assist during his short first-half stint. Minnesota headed to the locker room with a 59-52 lead. Garnett finished the game with nine points and seven rebounds.

KG has Career Night in Loss

KG's Rookie Year
11/16/1995

The Timberwolves have difficulty with the San Antonio Spurs, and Wednesday night's game at Target Center was no exception. The Spurs' 105-96 victory was further proof that the Wolves' turnaround has not yet begun. The loss was the third straight for the Wolves (1-5) despite a career night for 19-year-old rookie Kevin Garnett. Garnett had 19 points and eight rebounds. The Wolves dropped to 3-28 lifetime against the Spurs.

Whenever the Wolves play the Spurs (5-2), the focus usually falls on David Robinson. Last season's NBA most valuable player didn't let a teen-ager upstage him, pouring in 30 points and collecting 12 rebounds in 29 minutes. Sean Elliott complemented Robinson with 21 points. Tom Gugliotta, doing most of the inside work with Christian Laettner on the injured list with an ankle sprain, finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds. But Gugliotta, like his teammates, wilted in the second half. Gugliotta had only four points in the second half. The Wolves shot 39 percent (31 of 78), the fourth game in which they shot below 40 percent.

Spurs guard Avery Johnson made a free throw and fed Robinson for an alley-oop dunk to build a 95-87 lead with 3:53 remaining. The Wolves trailed only 91-87 with 6:56 left after Sean Rooks' hook shot over Robinson. They had three chances to tie or take the lead but came up empty on each possession. Gugliotta missed two shots, one a three-pointer, and Micheal Williams had the ball stolen by Johnson.

Behind Garnett's inspiring play, the Wolves cut into a 13-point deficit to trail 85-78 by the end of the third quarter. Garnett blocked a shot by J.R. Reid and scored the Wolves' last six points of the quarter, four on impressive tip-ins. Robinson's jumper had given the Spurs an 82-68 lead with 3:28 left in the third quarter. The Wolves seemed to get caught flat-footed trying to locate guard Vinny Del Negro. Del Negro got the Spurs off to a fast start in the period with 12 points, including two three-pointers over Doug West.

Already angered by Del Negro's flurry, West lost his cool when Gugliotta hit the floor hard on a drive to the basket and a foul was not called. Replacement referee William Kennedy hit West with two technical fouls, an automatic ejection. Robinson made the technical free throw to put the Spurs up 76-66 with 5:09 left in the quarter. West's outburst came when the Spurs were taking over the game after a sluggish second quarter.

The Wolves took advantage of cold shooting by the Spurs in the second quarter and Robinson's foul problems to take a 59-57 lead at halftime. Robinson picked up his third foul with 7:16 left in the quarter and sat out the rest of the period. If not for the foul trouble, Robinson might have had even more impressive numbers. He had made six of his first nine shots to open with a quick 15 points, 14 in the first quarter.

After Robinson left the game, the Spurs made only four field goals the rest of the half. They finished the second quarter shooting 5 for 22 (23 percent), which helped the Wolves make a run just before halftime. Trailing 52-47, the Wolves went on a 12-2 spurt highlighted by two fast-break baskets by rookie Mark Davis. Garnett started the run with an inside move. Rooks added two free throws and Gugliotta converted a layup and two free throws.

Gugliotta, who posted his fourth double double (points and rebounds) this season in the first half, was the Wolves' most active player. He had 16 points and 10 rebounds at intermission.
Nine of his points came at the free-throw line, an indication of the Wolves' determination to take the ball inside with Robinson playing soft because of foul problems.

Garnett Being Thrown to the Wolves

KG's Rookie Year
11/9/1995

The education of Kevin Garnett continues, with gold stars, eraser marks and about 77 more pop quizzes between now and the end of the season. In his one and only course of post-secondary curriculum - NBA 101 - Garnett has had mostly good days, surprising fans, impressing rivals and reassuring the Timberwolves that they made a sound draft pick. Against the Houston Rockets last Saturday, however, he had a rough night.

The 19-year-old missed all but three of his 12 shots. He got whistled for traveling, picked up an offensive foul and got so rattled at one point that he took a wad of chewing gum out of his mouth and fired it against the front of the scorer's table. After the 119-97 loss, he was agitated, summing up both his and the team's performance: "It's over, period. What more can I say?"

It wasn't a setback, but it was a disappointment for a young man who has known precious few disappointments on basketball courts any time, anywhere. Other rookies - even those with four years of NCAA experience - might get shaken by it. Wolves coach Bill Blair noticed enough in Garnett's body language to seek him out this week and offer encouragement. "I told him, `Don't ever get down on yourself. Each night you're going to see something new,' " Blair said. "Look, this kid is playing outside for the first time in his life, so he's usually playing guys who are smaller but quicker than him. Every night it's something different."

When the Wolves play at home, season-ticket holders want to know if Garnett really is the team's future. When the Wolves play on the road, every crowd wants to see what the hubbub is about. "That's very difficult for a young player," said Blair, who hollers at Garnett as much as he hollers at any other player in the excitement of games. Fortunately for the Wolves, Garnett has been resilient. He gets upset on the court, but so far his emotions have stayed at the anger level, not lapsing into depression. Getting steamed is better than getting down.

"I want to be the best I can," Garnett said. "If I know I can do something and I'm not doing it, I get ticked off. I'm going to be hard on myself, period, but I'm not going to get down." Through the Wolves' first five games, the rookie is averaging 6.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 19.8 minutes. "The only way I'm going to work harder is to get on myself," he said. "The only way I'm going to get better is to get on myself. There's nothing anybody can tell me that I don't already know [about getting better]."

Garnett isn't alone in this process. Kevin McHale, head of basketball operations, and Wolves coaches naturally are going to protect their investment. That means lots of positive reinforcement and constructive criticism. The other players have a stake in it, too. "He wants to do so much so quick. He doesn't realize it takes time," forward Doug West said. "I try to tell him, `Look at me.' I've been here for seven years and I'm struggling."

Said Tom Gugliotta: "As a rookie, you want to win but you're more concerned with how you're doing. He's a mentally tough person. There's been a couple times where he's missed a shot and the next time, he passes it up. We'll say to him, `Shoot that.' " If Garnett ever feels the self-doubts creeping up, he always can look back at the oohs and aahs he has left in his wake. Even when he plays so-so, NBA folks factor in his learning curve and come away impressed.

"He's going to be an awesome player," Houston forward Robert Horry said. "He has such long arms and, by the end of the season, he will get much better." Said Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich: "He's very active and has a great future. When he fills out and matures, he should be great. . . . He's going to miss what you learn in college. One thing about pro basketball is that you don't have a lot of time to do a lot of learning."

That will come on the job, one reason Garnett still was on the floor during garbage time against Houston. He made the most of it, hitting a three-pointer and slamming a massive dunk though the Wolves trailed by 30 points. "Right now, Kevin is on cloud nine," guard Micheal Williams said. "He's loving life and life is loving him. He should be proud of himself." Said West: "He's so young and so energetic. He's caught up in the limelight, and that's good. If you're not having fun, it makes everything that much harder."