INDIANAPOLIS -- After three consecutive losses to some of the NBA's top teams, the Timberwolves finally played someone their own size Tuesday night.
For more than three quarters, though, it looked like they might once again come up short. Then they hit the gas, coming from nine points down with 9:34 to play and holding on for a 116-111 victory over the Indiana Pacers at half-empty Conseco Fieldhouse.
Randy Foye had 19 points and Ryan Gomes added 16 for the Wolves (17-30), who committed two turnovers in the final 21.4 seconds but survived thanks to two missed free throws and a missed layup by T.J. Ford.
The Wolves also won despite getting only 12 points from star center Al Jefferson and playing the final three quarters without starting power forward Craig Smith, who suffered bruised ribs in a collision with Indiana forward Troy Murphy.
All-star forward Danny Granger had 28 points to lead the Pacers (19-30), who suffered their second straight home loss after seven consecutive wins.
The Wolves will be back at Target Center tonight to take on the Atlanta Hawks.
Gomes had the hot hand early, hitting three of his first four shots, including a three-pointer that gave the Wolves a 12-11 lead.
Two Sebastian Telfair free throws pushed it to three, but Murphy drained a three and Mike Dunleavy hit a jumper for a 16-14 Pacers advantage.
A 6-2 run made it a 22-16 game, and back-to-back threes by Dunleavy and Murphy gave the Pacers a 30-21 cushion with 3:23 to play.
Smith scored six of his 10 first-quarter points in the final 3:01, yet Minnesota finished the quarter on the short end of a 32-27 score.
Smith went 4 for 4 during the period but had to leave with 44 seconds left after suffering bruised ribs while fouling Murphy.
Rodney Carney got the Wolves even with a three-pointer less than two minutes into the second quarter, and Brian Cardinal gave them a 37-36 lead with another three.
Indiana ran off the next six points, but Foye hit two jumpers and Carney had a steal and fast-break dunk to pull Minnesota to within 44-43.
A Gomes steal and layup made it 47-46 Wolves, and another Foye jump shot put them up three.
Mike Miller hit a three for a 54-50 edge, but the Pacers scored nine of the next 11 points to take a 59-56 lead at the half.
The Wolves got it down to one four times in the third quarter but never got over the top.
Granger capped an 8-0 run with a driving layup and free throw to give Indiana an 80-71 lead with 3:19 to play.
The Wolves clawed back with seven straight points, but the Pacers got a late layup from Marquise Daniels for an 82-78 advantage heading into the final quarter.
Things looked bad for Minnesota when Granger converted a layup and free throw for a 94-85 Indiana lead with 9:34 remaining.
The Wolves answered, however, as rookie Kevin Love and Cardinal each hit two free throws and Cardinal nailed a three before Love hit a layup for a 94-94 tie with 8:17 to play.
Two T.J. Ford free throws put the Pacers back on top, but Love followed with two of his own and Miller had a putback slam of a Foye miss to make it 98-96 Minnesota at the 6:56 mark.
Indiana regained the lead on Dunleavy's three and a Jeff Foster free throw, but Jefferson hit a short jumper and Foye hit two free throws for a 102-100 lead at 5:03.
After a Granger basket, Dunleavy and Foye traded threes and Gomes hit another trey to put the Wolves up 108-106 with 2:57 left.
Telfair and Miller each hit two free throws for a seemingly comfortable 112-106 lead with 30.8 seconds to go, but it took two more Telfair free throws with 13.4 on the clock to seal the deal.
