NBA ROUNDUP Saturday's game

Timberwolves 96, Nets 75
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Sam Cassell played his best game in weeks, scoring 23 points in just 22 minutes to lead Minnesota to a rout. Cassell shot 10-for-13 and had four rebounds and three assists for the Timberwolves, who had a surprisingly easy time against an opponent in similar straits -- a few games out of a playoff spot with the regular season winding down. Cassell, who has missed eight of 13 games this month and 23 of the last 39 due to a hamstring injury, had 10 points in the second quarter when Minnesota took control, then made all the big plays at the start of the fourth quarter when the Wolves put the game out of reach. It helped the Timberwolves survive a sluggish game from Kevin Garnett, who had 13 points, eight rebounds and eight assists but shot 0-for-7 in the first half. Vince Carter scored 16 points and Jason Kidd had seven points, eight assists and 10 rebounds, but neither player exhibited the energy or intensity to match that of the Timberwolves. New Jersey remains in 10th place in the Eastern Conference with its second straight loss following a five-game winning streak. Minnesota won its third in a row and moved two games above .500 for the first time since Feb. 2.
Associated Press