QUARTER-BY-QUARTER ANALYSIS
First quarter: The Bobcats opened without their starting backcourt for the second consecutive game with Brevin Knight out with a sprained ankle and Kareem Rush on the injured list. The teams traded baskets through the opening minutes before Charlotte went on a 16-0 run fueled by Primoz Brezec and Jason Kapono to take a 25-11 lead with 2:57 remaining. Kapono scored the final seven points in the stretch as he connected on each of his first three field goal attempts. Minnesota went over six minutes without a field goal before Latrell Sprewell finally connected on a jumper to stop the run. The Bobcats continued to hold a double-digit lead at 27-17 after one period.

Second quarter: Charlotte led 39-28 midway through the second when the Timberwolves put together their first run of the night. Kevin Garnett began to make his presence felt with two baskets in an 8-1 run as Minnesota cut the Bobcats' lead to four (40-36) at the 3:23 mark. However, that was as close as the Timberwolves would get the rest of the half. Charlotte responded to the Minnesota run in a positive manner -- quickly bumping its lead back to eight points. Keith Bogans then drilled two three-pointers in the final 30 seconds of the half and the Bobcats took a 53-42 lead into the break.

Third quarter: Behind the early inside play of Brezec and Emeka Okafor, the Bobcats were able to maintain a nine-point lead at 59-50 with 9:07 remaining. For the next five minutes, however, Charlotte's offense went ice cold. The Bobcats missed eight field goal attempts and one free throw attempt and had two turnovers in the stretch as the Timberwolves scored 10 consecutive points to take their first lead (60-59) since early in the first quarter. Garnett took over the game for Minnesota in the run -- sandwiching two jumpers around a slam dunk. Kapono helped Charlotte grab one-point leads at 61-60 and 63-62 with back-to-back baskets, but the Timberwolves then closed the period on an 11-4 run for a 73-67 advantage. Minnesota outscored Charlotte 31-14 overall in the quarter as Garnett scored 16 of his game-high 30 points.

Fourth quarter: The Bobcats trailed by seven (78-71) with 9:48 remaining when the Timberwolves put the game out of reach with a 9-0 run. Wally Szczerbiak connected on two free throws and then Fred Hoiberg came off the bench to hit a big three-pointer. Minnesota continued to add free throws as first Keith Bogans and then Bernie Bickerstaff were assessed technical fouls. The stretch gave the Timberwolves their biggest advantage of the night at 87-71. Charlotte wasn't able to cut the lead under nine points until the final minute of the contest when the Bobcats scored the game's last seven points for the 102-97 final. Garnett led everyone with 30 points and 15 rebounds. Brezec (20 pts, 12 rebs), Okafor (13 pts, 11 rebs) and Jason Hart (14 pts, 10 asts) all posted double-doubles for the Bobcats. Charlotte's injury woes reached another level late in the fourth quarter when Gerald Wallace suffered an apparent rib injury in a collision with Wally Szczerbiak. He was helped from the court and did not return.

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GM & HEAD COACH BERNIE BICKERSTAFF SAYS...
(on Kevin Garnett) He made some great shots, but then that's why he's Garnett. That's why he's an All-Star, and that's why he is probably one of the best players in the league. Everyone should be so lucky to have one of those young men. The defense was pretty good on him... That's a helluva guy to be able to get the ball to."

(on the game) I thought what happened to us during that one little stretch is that sometimes we play without purpose. We play hard, but we don't play with purpose in terms of how we play the game... They give it everything they have. I thought it was a helluva game, when you consider Minnesota and their needs -- they are vying for a playoff berth -- the intensity and everything. My hat's off to them and to Garnett. They did a nice job.

(on the first-quarter run) I'm pleased with that (16-0 run), but then again there was a little stretch after that where we allowed them to get back in the basketball game. Because we didn't get shots in that situation, or we took bad shots or we settled. Those are the things that I'm talking about. You have to play basketball with a purpose, and understand the time and the score in those situations.

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INSIDE THE LOCKER ROOM

PRIMOZ BREZEC
(on Wallace's injury) It (Wallace's injury) was not a nice sound. I hope it's nothing. They said it was just bruised ribs.

(on the game) We came out with great intensity, great energy in the first quarter -- and as always, we didn't finish the first half strong. I was trying to tell the guys, 'Hey, we've got to finish the first half strong.'... Then in the second half, we came out flat with no energy. They make a run, and I think that was the key to the game.

(on Kevin Garnett) We did a pretty good job in the first quarter (on Garnett). We contained all his shots, and he just got hot in the second quarter and in the second half. He's the MVP of the league, so he's going to get his points and his rebounds.