Garnett Gets a Little Payback Against Heat

Kevin Garnett, like Miami Heat Coach Pat Riley, wasn’t about to let Anthony Mason get away with showing up late for a team meeting.

Garnett had 24 points and 15 rebounds and Chauncey Billups added 17 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the undermanned Heat, 94-77, Monday night at Minneapolis.

Miami was without Mason and Duane Causwell, sent home early Monday by Riley as punishment for arriving late to a Sunday night team meeting. Riley said both would be fined.

“I don’t like to use the word ‘payback,’ but that’s the way it came off,” Garnett said.

On Friday, Garnett scored 13 points, and only two in the second half, when Minnesota lost at Miami, 86-79. Mason led Miami in that game with 22 points and 10 boards.

The Timberwolves moved three games ahead of Houston in the hunt for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Brian Grant had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Miami, which lost for the third time in four games.

Charlotte 102, Chicago 94--Jamal Mashburn had 28 points, eight rebounds and a career-high 14 assists at Charlotte, N.C., to help the Hornets beat the Bulls for the ninth consecutive time.

The Hornets also pulled within two games of Milwaukee for the Central Division lead.

Former Hornet Brad Miller had 22 points and 15 rebounds for the Bulls, who extended their road losing streak to a franchise-high 19 games.

Denver 84, Golden State 79--Nick Van Exel scored seven of his 17 points in the final 3:46 at Oakland as the Nuggets ended a nine-game road losing streak.

Antonio McDyess, who sat out three games because of a knee injury, returned with 12 points and 17 rebounds.

Golden State lost its seventh in a row.

Around the League

Allen Iverson, the NBA’s scoring leader, was listed as questionable for the Philadelphia 76ers’ next game Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls because of a bruised hip. He was injured in Sunday’s victory over the Boston Celtics. . . . The Sacramento Kings activated guard Jon Barry and placed rookie forward Jabari Smith (right knee tendinitis) on the injured list for the third time this season. Barry sat out 16 games because of a fractured left hand.