MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, 21 May 2004 — Kevin Garnett lifted the Minnesota Timberwolves into the National Basketball Association Western Conference finals on Wednesday as he collected 32 points, 21 rebounds and some overdue respect in an 83-80 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
Leading the Timberwolves into the first game seven in franchise history, the pressure was on Garnett, who never had won a playoff series before this year. As the NBA Most Valuable Player, he was expected to carry Minnesota past Sacramento.
Garnett was also pressured by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, who proclaimed Wednesday as “Kevin Garnett Day.”
In addition, the biggest game of his nine-year career fell on his 28th birthday.
“I’ve had some really, really special moments on my birthday, and some really, really special presents, but nothing like this,” he said.
In past playoff failures, Garnett was criticized for not taking control of the game. This time, he grabbed it by the throat, scoring 13 straight Minnesota points in the fourth quarter.
“I felt like I had to be aggressive,” Garnett said. “I didn’t want to come out here and be sitting alone later, driving home, and wondering if I could have done more.”
And when the Kings made another of the last-gasp rallies that have dotted this series, Garnett made two big defensive plays — his fourth steal and fifth block — that was just enough to seal the win.
“There was a lot of pressure on him,” Minnesota coach Flip Saunders said. “He rose to the occasion. He had a lot of calmness around him.”
“I kept my poise,” Garnett said. “I felt like I was really centered.”
In the conference finals, the top-seeded Timberwolves host the Los Angeles Lakers in game one on Friday. The Lakers beat the Wolves in six games in the first round last year, but Minnesota won three of four meetings this season.
It certainly wasn’t the Kings’ day. They led for just 64 seconds as their normally reliable shooting let them down, making less than 40 percent (32-of-81) from the field.
When Chris Webber’s potential tying 3-pointer rattled in and out at the buzzer, Sacramento became just the second team in NBA history to lose a Game Seven in three straight years, joining the 1960-62 Lakers.
“The last two years we’ve been on the road (in game seven),” Kings coach Rick Adelman said. “It’s tough to win on the road like that.”
Minnesota was clinging to a 64-62 lead when Garnett took over. In a four-minute span, he made a jumper, an inside basket, a scoop layup and a dunk after a nasty crossover dribble that left Webber swiping at air and opened a 74-68 lead.
After Sacramento’s Brad Miller made a layup, Garnett saved a broken play, beating the shot clock with a 3-pointer for a 77-70 lead with 3:36 to go.
“I looked up, the first thing I saw it was a short clock, and I just let it go,” he said.
Sam Cassell, who had 23 points and seven assists, made two free throws at the 3:10 mark before the Kings stormed back, closing to 79-75 before Garnett stole a pass, drew a foul and made a free throw with 31 seconds left.
Doug Christie, who scored 21 points, made it 81-80 with a 3-pointer with 16 seconds to play. After two more free throws by Cassell, Christie fired an airball 3-pointer and Garnett blocked Miller’s layup out of bounds with 2.5 seconds remaining.
Latrell Sprewell scored 14 points and Wally Szczerbiak added 10 off the bench — all in the second quarter — for the Wolves. Webber had 16 points and eight boards and Mike Bibby had 15, eight and eight assists for the Kings. Kings All-Star forward Peja Stojakovic, considered the best shooter in the NBA, made just 3-of-12 shots and scored eight points.
