Shooting Spree (34 Points) Puts Minnesota in Control

Before this season, the Minnesota Timberwolves had never made it past the first round of the playoffs.

Before this season, they never had Latrell Sprewell.

Sprewell, a playoff-tested veteran who helped the New York Knicks reach the NBA Finals in 1999, scored 34 points Friday night and pushed the top-seeded Timberwolves to within one win of the Western Conference finals.

Kevin Garnett contributed 23 points and 12 rebounds, Mark Madsen took a game-high 13 rebounds and the Timberwolves defeated the Sacramento Kings, 86-74, in Game 5 of their conference semifinal series. They lead the series, three games to two, and can end it Sunday with a victory in Game 6 at Sacramento.

Game 7, if necessary, would be Wednesday night at Minneapolis.

It won’t be necessary if Sprewell plays as he did in slicing and dicing the Kings in front of 19,818 in the Target Center. He made 13 of 21 shots, several on spectacular drives, and also had seven rebounds and six assists.

“Spree was so focused,” teammate Fred Hoiberg said. “He’s always focused, but tonight you could sense he was going to take it upon himself to carry us through those first three quarters....

“He’s a very emotional player, and you could just see it in his eyes that tonight was going to be one of those nights for him.”

Said Sprewell, who also hounded King point guard Mike Bibby into a five-for-15 shooting performance: “I’ve been playing 12 years, and I want a ring. That’s what it’s all about. We’re playing for the championship, and if you can’t come out here and leave it all out on the court, you don’t need to be playing.”

Sprewell’s aggressiveness energized the Timberwolves, who overcame an early nine-point deficit and led through most of the final three quarters.

“I was attacking, attacking, attacking,” he said. “I told our guys, ‘If you see me out on the wing, throw me the ball and I’ll try to get to the basket.’ ”

Limiting the Kings to 33% shooting, the Timberwolves took command of the series despite a sub-par effort from point guard Sam Cassell, who was hindered by back spasms and scored only three points in 31 minutes.

Cassell, however, was forced to play almost all of the fourth quarter after his backup, Darrick Martin, was ejected in the final minute of the third quarter. After hitting Brad Miller below the belt, Martin was thrown to the floor by the Kings’ backup center, and both players were thrown out of the game.

Miller made an obscene gesture to the crowd with both hands as he exited.

Chris Webber picked up three early fouls, and the Kings never got into sync offensively. Bibby scored 14 points, Webber 13 and Peja Stojakovic 12, the Kings’ top three players combining to make only 15 of 45 shots.

“You just have to forget about this game, turn around and win the game on Sunday,” Coach Rick Adelman said. “Everybody talked about the fourth game as a must-win.... This is really a must-win, because there ain’t any more if you don’t win.”

The Kings missed 16 of 19 shots during one first-half stretch, and Webber, having missed all five of his shots, was on the bench with three fouls. But they stayed close, and at halftime they trailed only 38-34.