Too bad the game lasted two seconds too long for the home team, as Mehmet Okur's runner with 1.7 seconds to play led the Utah Jazz to a come-from-behind 99-96 victory in front of 10,745 at Target Center.

Minnesota rookie Kevin Love missed four free throws in the final three minutes, and Rashad McCants threw away the Wolves' last chance with 1.5 seconds left as they lost a game they had led 94-87 with 2:55 to play.

"Tough loss," McHale said after seeing his team fall to 4-16 with its sixth consecutive defeat. "We had a chance to put 'em away, and we just didn't. I can't fault anybody's effort. I can't fault anybody's heart."

Love was tougher on himself after a game in which the rookie forward hit just 2 of 9 free throws and his team made 27 of 43 (62.8 percent).

"I obviously didn't shoot well from the free-throw line tonight," he said. "It may have cost us the game. I'll take the blame for that. I'm a man. I'll step up and take the blame."

According to McHale, there's no need.

"I told him we were going to be in a lot of battles and I'll go to battle with him any day of the week," McHale said, adding, "Tonight, those guys left their hearts on the court."

Until the final seconds, it was a storybook night for McHale and the Wolves, who were coming off 29- and 23-point losses in Wittman's final two games. Wittman was fired Monday and replaced by McHale, formerly the team's vice president of Basketball operations.

Reinstalled as the starting point guard, Randy Foye scored 17 points, and Craig Smith added 15 in his first start of the season at power forward.

Foye got eight of his points during a 14-2 run early in the fourth quarter as the Wolves turned a 78-75 deficit into an 89-80 lead with 6:01 to play.

Minnesota was still sitting on a 94-87 advantage with 2:55 left when Love began missing free throws.

Ronnie Brewer hit a jumper after the first two misses, and Kyle Korver added a three-pointer after the second set to give Utah (14-9) a 95-94 lead with 54.3 seconds remaining.

Foye hit two free throws to put the Wolves back in front by one with 7.8 seconds left, but Okur hit his runner and McCants' inbounds pass intended for Al Jefferson with 1.5 seconds left was intercepted by Deron Williams.

Williams was fouled, and his two free throws sealed the deal for the Jazz, who gave coach Jerry Sloan a memorable victory on the 20th anniversary of his hiring as coach.

"It sure feels a lot better to win than it would be to fly home (after a loss)," Sloan said.

For the Wolves, it was yet another frustrating loss in a season that has had more than its share, but this time there were several positives.

Foye and Smith were two of four players in double figures for Minnesota, which got a team-high 21 points from Jefferson and 14 from Ryan Gomes.

The Wolves also outscored Utah 46-30 in the paint, but the biggest difference was the energy and effort of the players that was so conspicuously missing in the previous two losses to New Jersey and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Foye gave full credit to McHale.

"Everybody tonight was free," he said. "Mac let us go. That gave everybody a comfort level."

That doesn't change the fact that the Wolves failed one more time to close out a game they could have won, but Foye and his teammates have reason for optimism looking ahead to tonight's game at Denver and the rest of the season.

"This is one game," Foye said. "Once everybody gets rolling and everything starts to get rolling, it's going to be real fun around here."

McHale, who spent the entire game encouraging his players from the sideline, left them with a promise.

"I promised them I'd be a better coach for them," he said.