Boston Celtics
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KG hailed as Celts tag Wolves
01:00 AM EST on Saturday, November 22, 2008
The Celtics’ Paul Pierce, left, is fouled by the Timberwolves’ Randy Foye in the first quarter of last night’s game in Minneapolis.
AP / Jim Mone
MINNEAPOLIS — Make no mistake: Kevin Garnett still owns Target Center.
In his first game on the court since being traded before last season, Garnett scored 17 points to help his Boston Celtics cruise to a 95-78 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves last night.
Al Jefferson scored 23 points for the Timberwolves. But he shot just 8-for-20, and the Timberwolves were shooting a jaw-dropping 23 percent heading into the fourth quarter before finishing at 31 percent.
The Celtics outscored Minnesota 35-10 in the decisive third quarter, with Garnett putting away two alley-oop passes and throwing down two more dunks to the delight of hundreds of fans wearing his No. 5 Celtics jersey and still more sporting his old blue No. 21.
Garnett was injured in Boston’s only game here last season. That kept him from playing in the arena he called home for 12 brilliant seasons.
He was fully healthy this time around — and carrying a little extra bling with him.
The Celtics captured that long-sought NBA title for Garnett in his first season in Boston, giving him a big, shiny ring to match the huge diamond ear studs he wears.
Garnett shot 8-for-12 and did all the little things he excelled at in his beloved ’Sota.
In the middle of the 11-0 run that closed out the third period, Garnett delivered a teeth-rattling pick on Wolves guard Randy Foye, then swatted away a jumper by Sebastian Telfair.
Still searching for an identity in the post-KG Era, Minnesota made only two field goals in the period and fell to 2-9 on the season.
There were plenty of empty seats in the house, perhaps the most concrete sign yet that Minnesota has finally come to grips that the only pro basketball star this generation of fans has ever known is gone and not coming back.
Stone-faced, Garnett went through his warm-ups as if it were any other game in any other venue, with that trademark intensity smoldering from the moment he stepped on the court. 95 78 Next Game Tomorrow at Toronto 12:30 p.m.
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