A week ago, Timberwolves guard Randy Foye awaited with a new season -- his third as a professional -- with anticipation and a declaration perhaps for his team and his own career that it's "time to go."
Sunday, after the Wolves lost for the second time in as many nights to fall to 1-2, he searched for words to describe the season's start and came up empty after he missed all ten shots he attempted from the field and committed five turnovers in a loss at Oklahoma City. "I don't know, I don't know," he said. "I don't know."
With Sebastian Telfair suspended for the season's first three games, Wolves coach Randy Wittman has turned to veteran Kevin Ollie at times to run the team at important junctures while Foye been unable to get the team's offense humming and has shot 3-for-24 in games Saturday against Dallas and Sunday.
"The kid is struggling," Wittman said. "He's struggling right now. He's got to continue to work at it. He's got to play his way through this. Players go through these things. He's going through it at the start."
Even after he had missed his first nine shots, Foye drove to the basket for a two-point shot that missed when the Wolves trailed by three with 12 seconds left.
"My confidence level is there," said Foye, who also had six assists. "I just can't make a shot. It's just tough right now, but I'll get through it."
Teammate Mike Miller offered his support.
"Randy is a good basketball player, a great basketball player," Miller said. "He'll be fine. It's one of those things. I'm not worried about Randy Foye."
Telfair served the final game of his three-game NBA suspension Sunday and can play Wednesday against San Antonio. Wittman was asked if he will continue to let Foye play his way through this as the starting point guard.
"We don't play again until Wednesday," Wittman said.
THUNDER 88, WOLVES 85: One night after the Wolves lost a game to Dallas that coach Randy Wittman thought they could have won, they squandered away a 12-point lead and the victory in a game he said they should have won.
The Wolves surrendered 19 offensive rebounds and melted down at the end of the third quarter, committing three successive turnovers on bad passes that allowed the Thunder to turn a 10-point deficit into just a three-point game after three quarters.
That burst was the start of a 13-0 run that ended the third quarter and began the fourth on a night when Al Jefferson, of course, delivered another double-double (24 points, 13 rebounds) but the Wolves couldn't score a point in that stretch when he was on the bench for a rest.
