Garnett’s Game Has Been Magical

The question posed in these parts about how much competitive will the Timberwolves could bring for Game 5 at Target Center?

It has been answered.

It has been answered by Kevin Garnett and Latrell Sprewell in a style that we have not seen around here for a Minnesota pro team in this circumstance since Kirby Puckett and Jack Morris led the Twins to the World Series title in 1991.

You can’t flatly state that Garnett’s overall performance at Target Center in the Timberwolves’ 98-96 victory over the Lakers on Saturday night equaled what Puckett did for the Twins with a game-winning home run on that long-ago Saturday night in the Metrodome, but it was right there.

You can’t flatly state that Sprewell’s insistence on victory equaled what Morris offered with a 10-inning shutout a night after Puck’s game, but it was right there.

Coach Flip Saunders said the message he received when he was spotted around town over the past two days was: “You’ve had a great season.”

The real message was that the locals expected the season to end in Game 5 against the mighty Lakers. Without clairvoyance, how could anyone have imagined that Garnett would do more outstanding things on a basketball court than anyone has ever done ... and that Sprewell would come close to bringing as much to his underdog team?

Garnett finished with 30 points, 19 rebounds, four assists and also did 40 to 50% of the point guard work for a team that committed six turnovers.

And that was on one half of the floor. At the other end, Garnett

“KG guarded everybody, from Shaq to Kobe to Fisher,” Saunders said.

The players referred to here were Shaquille O’Neal, the best post player in the world; Kobe Bryant, the best perimeter player in the world; and Derek Fisher, a diabolical little lefty dedicated to thrusting daggers into the Wolves.

Garnett guarded everybody, and then, more often than not, he would hang around that end of the court, wait for a pass from a teammate who was encountering Lakers’ pressure, then bring the ball up court.

Asked if any coach in the NBA could request as much from a player as he does from Garnett, Saunders said: “They could ask, but I don’t know if anyone would do it. I said it four, five years ago. What we ask KG to do is remarkable.

“The only other time I can remember something similar is Magic and what was asked of him with the Lakers against Philadelphia [in the 1980 NBA Finals]. He had to play center and basically took over the game ... scoring 42 points, something like that.”

Magic Johnson did that for one, decisive game. The Wolves have been asking Garnett to assume a heavy share of the ballhandling since injured Sam Cassell left Game 2 of this series in the opening minute.

And after Saturday’s victory, Garnett reported, “I feel fine. Fatigue is not a word I’m going to use.”

With Cassell in street clothes, the remaining pieces of the Wolves’ Big Three -- Garnett and Sprewell -- had to carry on-court responsibilities that were beyond reasonable.

“We couldn’t come in the locker room [after the game] saying, ‘Shoulda, woulda, coulda,’ ” Garnett said. “We don’t consider this thing over.”