Timberwolves Knock Out the Jazz

With the playoffs fast approaching, both Minnesota and Utah needed a victory badly.

But the Jazz just wasn’t ready, and its streak of 20 consecutive postseason appearances is done.

Latrell Sprewell scored 24 points, showing some familiar feistiness in the Timberwolves’ 104-90 victory over the Jazz on Monday night at Minneapolis.

“It looked like some guys had packed it in,” Utah Coach Jerry Sloan said. “I think we showed that right away.”

Kevin Garnett posted his 71st double-double -- 21 points and 17 rebounds -- for Minnesota, which won its eighth straight game and stayed on track for the top seeding in the Western Conference playoffs. If the Timberwolves win at Memphis on Wednesday, they clinch it.

“The bottom line is we’re trying to finish the season on a positive note,” Sprewell said.

Carlos Arroyo had 19 points and Andrei Kirilenko had 16 for the Jazz (42-39), which fell a game behind the Denver Nuggets -- who hold the tiebreaker.

Sam Cassell scored 18 points for Minnesota (57-24), which is a game ahead of Midwest Division rival San Antonio. If the Timberwolves win at Memphis on Wednesday, they get the No. 1 spot and homecourt advantage throughout the conference finals.

If the Timberwolves lose to the Grizzlies and the Spurs beat Denver at home that night, San Antonio will win the second tiebreaker by virtue of a better conference record. Minnesota and San Antonio split their four meetings this season.

San Antonio 78, Portland 66 -- Tim Duncan had 14 points and 15 rebounds at Portland, Ore., to lead the Spurs to their 10th straight victory, a rout of the Trail Blazers, who were eliminated from the playoffs for the first time in 22 years.

Portland had been eliminated earlier when the Denver Nuggets beat the Sacramento Kings, 97-89, to earn the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

San Antonio, which swept the season series against the Trail Blazers for the first time in franchise history, remained a game back of Minnesota in the Midwest Division.

Houston 111, Seattle 107 -- Mark Jackson made a rare start and scored a season-high 25 points to lead the Rockets at Seattle.

Houston clinched the No. 7 seeding in the Western Conference playoffs.

Jackson, who signed with Houston as free agent on Jan. 15, entered the game with a 1.9-point scoring average and had made only three of his 33 three-point attempts this season. He made three from beyond the arc and shot 14 for 17 from the free-throw line.

Atlanta 129, New Jersey 107 -- Bob Sura became the first NBA player in seven years to have three straight triple-doubles, and the host Hawks won three in a row for the first time this season.

Sura had 22 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds -- the last rebound coming when he intentionally missed a layup just before the buzzer and grabbed his own rebound.

Indiana 107, Philadelphia 93 -- Jermaine O’Neal scored 28 points at Philadelphia to help the Pacers set a single-season franchise record for wins. Indiana (60-21) eclipsed the franchise mark set by the 1969-70 team that went 59-25 and won the ABA title.

Detroit 101, Washington 79 -- Mike James scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half at Auburn Hills, Mich., as the Pistons broke open a close game to win their eighth in a row. The Pistons have won 16 of 18 games, including 11 straight at home.

New York 101, New Orleans 97 -- Reserves Moochie Norris and Michael Sweetney each scored 11 fourth-quarter points and the Knicks overcame a 10-point deficit in the final period to win at New Orleans.

Miami 84, Boston 77 -- Lamar Odom had 28 points and 11 rebounds at Boston to help the Heat retain a chance to open the playoffs at home. The Celtics rested leading scorer Paul Pierce, who has a sore right ankle.

Cleveland 93, Milwaukee 89 -- LeBron James gave the home crowd one more night to savor, scoring 27 points as the Cavaliers won their home finale.

Orlando 93, Chicago 84 -- Juwan Howard scored a season-high 38 points at Chicago to help the Magic end a 13-game losing streak.