Unable to successfully finish games in November and December, the Timberwolves now have won four consecutive games when they have led going into the fourth quarter and 10 of their last 14 in that situation since they won at Golden State on Jan. 21.
"We've grown up," Wolves star Al Jefferson said. Until that Jan. 21 victory, the Wolves had lost eight of 13 games when they took a lead into the final quarter. That afternoon remains their season's demarcation line: They started the season 5-34. Beginning with that victory, they are 14-19 after Sunday's victory over Utah, their second home victory over the Jazz in 33 days.
"We're getting better and better," Jefferson said. "To win like this two times in a row over them at home says a lot."
The Wolves won seven times in March and now have won seven of their last 12 games after they had lost 12 of 14 before that.
Sunday's victory was the only one of those seven, though, over an opponent bound for the playoff. It was the third game in a six-game stretch against title contenders, a stretch that continues Tuesday against Detroit, Wednesday at Utah and concludes Friday at Phoenix.
WOLVES 110, JAZZ 103: The Wolves took Marko Jaric's floating shot high off the backboard glass and an ensuing 76-74 lead just before the third-quarter buzzer Sunday. They carried the momentum into a fourth quarter when they outscored the Jazz 34-29 and executed more proficiently than a Utah team that has been doing so to its opponents almost ever since Jerry Sloan became head coach in December 1988.
"Down the stretch, we made plays," Wolves coach Randy Wittman said. "We made big baskets. We made hustle plays. We made plays that win games."
Facing a Utah team missing starters Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko, Wittman kept reserves Rashad McCants and Kirk Snyder, who was moved from the starting lineup Sunday after 13 consecutive starts at small forward, on the floor for the entire fourth quarter and paired them down the stretch with Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes and Marko Jaric. The team's starting shooting guard, Jaric took over at point guard for Randy Foye in the fourth quarter in a move that effectively countered big Jazz point guard Deron Williams.
McCants vexed Utah's defense repeatedly on pick-and-roll plays, scoring 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter on drives to the basket and then creating space for Jefferson and Gomes to operate when he wasn't scoring himself. Snyder provided two important hustle plays: A putback basket of McCants' long, forced shot just before the 24-shot clock expired was pivotal in a 13-run that turned a tied game into an 89-80 lead with 8:24 remaining. His slashing three-point play with 44.2 seconds left provided a decisive 104-98 lead with 44.2 seconds left.
"One of our best four quarters of the season," Jaric said.
