http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=261208016



MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Kevin Garnett and Allen Iverson --the possibility of that combination lifted Garnett's spirits just minutes after a big victory over Utah.

"Bring it on, I love 'The Answer," Garnett said Friday night. "We welcome A.I. with open arms. Where's Kevin McHale?"

Garnett had a season-high 31 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves over the league-leading Jazz 110-103.

McHale, vice president of basketball operations, would not comment on rumors that Iverson would end up in Minnesota. But his star player went so far as to look into a local television camera and make a plea to Iverson.

"Come on, boy," Garnett said. "I can't think of anyone who wouldn't want to play with him."

In a pregame interview, coach Dwane Casey deflected questions about Iverson, who sounds as if he is on his way out of Philadelphia. Afterward, Casey stayed the course.

"That's none of my business," he said. "All I'm concerned with is this roster I have right now."

That roster typically begins and ends with Garnett, who scored 16 points in the decisive third quarter. But, on Friday he got some help from Mike James with a season-high 28 points and Ricky Davis, who added 21. Minnesota has won three straight.

Deron Williams had 21 points and 11 assists for the Jazz, who weren't able to get Jerry Sloan his 1,000th career coaching victory. Mehmet Okur had 18 points, but Carlos Boozer only scored eight on 4-for-17 shooting. Boozer had 13 rebounds.

"Maybe I should retire real quick," joked Sloan, who said he doesn't particularly care about the 1,000 win mark. "Whatever happens, happens."

Minnesota extended a seven-point halftime lead to 94-84 with 5:46 left after James hit a long 3-pointer as the shot clock expired and Garnett hit a jumper from the corner.

"You're never going to stop Kevin Garnett," Sloan said. "That is something people have been trying to do as long as he's been around."

Utah got within 98-93, but James hit another big 3-pointer and Utah could not get closer than five the rest of the way.

It was perhaps James' best performance in Minnesota; however, afterwards he also couldn't avoid the Iverson discussion.

"Philly is going to get a lot of players if A.I. comes here," James said. "If I end up in Philly, I know it's business and not personal."

Garnett sparked a Minnesota run midway through the third quarter with a 3-pointer, a blocked shot and an assist on Davis' reverse layup for a 63-57 lead with 5:41 left. It was the Wolves' biggest lead to that point and Garnett helped them push it to 77-70 at the end of the third with his second 3-pointer.

The teams played close throughout the first half, with 13 lead changes and five ties. Neither team led by more than four points and Utah's biggest lead came at halftime, 46-43, when Boozer scored for just the second time.

Garnett led all scorers with eight points in the opening quarter, as Minnesota got out to a 22-21 lead.

"He's long, he's fast and once he gets hot he's hot," Okur said of Garnett.

Game notes
The Wolves were 6-for-13 from 3-point range. Garnett was 2-for-2. ... Sloan talked about the 1,000 wins before the game. "All it is, is a number," he said. "It's not been one of my ambitions. I haven't won a championship yet." Sloan is looking to join Lenny Wilkens, Don Nelson, Pat Riley and Larry Brown in the 1,000-win club. "Just being involved with basketball and the game I love is enough," he added. ... Boozer had led the Jazz in scoring the previous five games.

Join the convo:

http://forums.theskyiscrape.com/vie ... &start=280

PHATJ is clearly the master of the search tool.

How come you bitches aren't crying over the fact we have Patriots, Jets, Browns, Bears and Steelers haters threads all on the first page along with an NFL thread? Or the Yao Ming and Pistons thread in addition to the NBA thread? Or Sabers, Rangers, and Bruins threads in addition to the NHL thread? Or an Octavio fucking Dotel thread in addition to the hot stove thread? Just curious how exactly you bitches decide what to cry about and what not to cry about.

What?

Yes I made a type-o try not to cry too much.

It's really cute that you edited it.

Not nearly as cute as thread you started to whine about getting dumped by your girlfriend.

Awww, look at you. How adorable.

come on guys, take this to the dotel thread

Is it really that hard to figure it out? There is already an NBA thread, there might be a Sixers thread, and heck, there's probably already an Allen Iverson thread. In this case, the discussion had already been going on in the NBA thread, so there's no reason to have two separate discussions.

Because we're already fucking talking about it somewhere else.

So there is no discussion about the Bears, Patriots, Jets, Brown, or Steelers in the NFL thread?

Look, I don't give two shits about who starts what thread where 99% of the time. I'm not Mitchell. But if he fucking opened the NBA thread RIGHT WHEN HE POSTED THAT he would have seen us talking about that same fucking topic (about the T-Wolves, no less) right then. If I paid close enough attention to find this happen elsewhere (and I highly doubt it ever has) then I'd call them out for it too.

None of those team-specific threads were started about a particular topic... it's just about those teams. This thread has limited potential from the start, because after AI goes wherever its over. Just take it to the fucking NBA thread and be done with it, because sheer laziness is the only excuse for this.

I'm lazy. Why the fuck do you even care about this thread? Go back and chat in your precious NBA thread. No one forced you to open it or to drone on about other threads in this thread. Why the hell don't you all worry about something important or something that has a point, instead of complaining about a specific threads content and location.

Simply put, it's not a big deal, so why do you even give a fuck?

Because unorganized forums suck. It would be retarded to carry on the same conversation in two places. It would be like GD.

Oh my God! The horror! How do people sleep at night knowing shit like this is going on?!?!?



So if I wanted to talk about Thursday nights Browns-Steelers game would that go in the NFL thread, the official Browns thread, the official Steelers thread or the Steelers haters thread? I'd hate to see you guys shed anymore tears.

You're the guy who got all postal here. Nobody is shedding tears except for you.

It looks like a few of you want to be traded to Synergy.