GUND ARENA Sprewell helps lift T-Wolves past Cavs

The small forward scored a season-high 31 points in Minnesota's 97-83 victory.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Kevin Garnett is happy to have Latrell Sprewell around to help him carry the load.
Sprewell scored a season-high 31 points and Garnett added 20, leading the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 97-83 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.
Sprewell's 3-pointer -- his fourth -- with 5:47 remaining gave Minnesota a 15-point lead, and the Timberwolves showed poise down the stretch in holding off the inexperienced Cavaliers.
After playing with subpar supporting casts in his first eight seasons, Garnett feels he finally has a running mate in Sprewell, who was acquired in a July trade with New York.
"You all may not like him," Garnett told reporters. "But everybody knows the man can flat out play. Everything I've expected of him coming here, he's exceeded all that. The big thing is his intensity. When he gets it going, we're just that much better."
Sprewell, who shot just 5-for-24 in his past two games, was 11-for-21 with four 3s.
"I've been very streaky lately and I need to be more consistent," Sprewell said. "I was better tonight. Some nights I am on, some nights I am off."
Garnett had no problem with Sprewell shooting himself out of his slump.
"We don't worry about who's taking the shots, what we worry about is who is hitting the shots," Garnett said.
Scoring help
Cleveland rookie LeBron James scored 19 points -- 13 in the fourth quarter -- and added nine rebounds. However, he shot 8-of-19 and played just four minutes of the third quarter because of foul trouble.
"That was tough," James said. "I can't help my team sitting on the bench."
Garnett added 15 rebounds and Fred Hoiberg came off the bench and matched a season-high with 14 points for Minnesota, which only trailed for the game's first 2:18.
Ricky Davis added 13 points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas had a season-high 12 rebounds for Cleveland, which for the second time this season started slowly in a nationally televised game.
"We had no oomph," Cavs coach Paul Silas said. "It seems like we were walking in mud out there. We did not play up to our capabilities. If we play with energy, we can play with anyone."
Trailing by 14 after three quarters, the Cavaliers scored the first six points of the fourth quarter -- the final two coming on a no-look, over-the-head pass by Davis to Chris Mihm underneath for a dunk.
But after coach Flip Saunders called a timeout, Sprewell, who came in averaging 15.7 points, hit a tough jumper from the baseline as Minnesota countered with a 6-0 run.
"We got a little passive there for the first two or three minutes," Saunders said. "We needed to regain our aggressiveness."
Tough showing
The Cavaliers played their second game without forward Carlos Boozer, their leading rebounder, who has a sprained right ankle and isn't expected to be back until next week.
James picked up two quick fouls in the third quarter and spent the final 8:24 of the period on the bench with four personals. Seconds after James went out, center DeSagana Diop was whistled for his fourth foul and also had to sit.
Sprewell hit a 3-pointer, rookie Keith McLeod converted a three-point play and Hoiberg knocked down another 3 as the Timberwolves opened a 75-61 lead after three.
With Boozer out, Minnesota was able to shove its way around in the lane in the first half. On one possession, the Timberwolves got three offensive rebounds before Gary Trent's putback put made it 45-35 late in the first half.