Timberwolves Hand Bulls a 53-Point Loss

The Minnesota Timberwolves are off to their best start. The Chicago Bulls might just want to start over.

Joe Smith scored 17 points to lead seven Timberwolves in double figures, and Minnesota led by as many as 56 points in a 127-74 home victory over Chicago on Thursday night. Since joining the NBA in 1966, the Bulls had never been defeated so badly.

“We couldn’t beat a snappy junior high team with this group tonight,” said Bulls’ Coach Tim Floyd. “What you saw was a pathetic effort.”

The 53-point margin was the most lopsided in Minnesota’s 13-year history. The NBA record for margin of victory is 68, set by Cleveland against Miami in 1991.

Terrell Brandon had 14 points and 12 assists, and Kevin Garnett added 15 points for the Timberwolves--who set a team record with their fifth consecutive victory to start a season.

More impressively, Minnesota had 39 assists and turned the ball over only nine times.

“It starts with me--I have to continue to be unselfish and not think about statistics but just get people involved,” said Brandon, who has 45 assists and only four turnovers in five games.

The Timberwolves made 73% of their shots in the second quarter to take a 68-36 lead, and it didn’t get any better for the Bulls in the second half when Minnesota started with a 12-0 run.

San Antonio 105, Charlotte 95--Tim Duncan had 33 points and 16 rebounds and rookie Tony Parker added 22 points to lead the Spurs at Charlotte, N.C.

The 19-year-old Parker, who made his first career start in Tuesday’s win over Orlando, shot eight for 16 from the floor and made four three-pointers--one of them in a 7-0 run that sealed the win.

New Jersey 106, Seattle 94--Todd MacCulloch had a career-high 29 points and 10 rebounds at East Rutherford, N.J., to lead the Nets to their fourth victory in five games.

Jason Kidd added 16 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds, Keith Van Horn had 20 points and 12 rebounds, Kenyon Martin had 13 points and the Nets’ second-stringers played a big part in a 17-4 fourth-quarter spurt that decided the game.

Milwaukee 86, Miami 82--The Bucks got 26 points from Glenn Robinson and held off the depleted Heat at Milwaukee for the second 4-0 start in franchise history.

Ray Allen added 22 points for the Bucks, who are off to their best start since the 1971 team won its first seven games.

Dallas 105, Denver 91--Dirk Nowitzki scored 33 points, 23 in the first half, Michael Finley had 18 points and Steve Nash added 13 points and 12 assists at Dallas as the Mavericks improved to 5-1.

Nowitzki went 12 for 23 from the field and pulled down nine rebounds.

Danny Manning had 13 points and six rebounds for Dallas.

Phoenix 108, Atlanta 80--Shawn Marion scored 21 points on 10-for-13 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Suns ran past the Hawks at Phoenix.

Stephon Marbury added 12 points and 10 assists and got the Suns’ fastbreak into high gear in the second half. Jake Tsakalidis and Tony Delk each scored 15.

Houston 77, Philadelphia 72--Kenny Thomas scored six of his 14 points in the fourth quarter and Steve Francis had 18 points, leading the Rockets to a victory over the winless 76ers at Houston.

The defending Eastern Conference champion 76ers, who started last season with 10 consecutive victories, fell to 0-5 for the first time since the 1997-98 season. Derrick Coleman led Philadelphia with 20 points and Dikembe Mutombo had 16 points and 18 rebounds.