Big Al Leads the Way
January 23, 2008
Like finding a diamond in a coal bin, Minnesota defeated Phoenix, 117-107, for the second time in two months for only the Timberwolves’ seventh win of the 2007-08 season.
Playing like a man possessed, the 23-year-old 6-10 Al Jefferson (or as the Wolves’ publicity machine is wont to call him, “Big Al”) scored a career-high 39 points to go with 15 rebounds in a never-say-die effort against Phoenix, the best team in the NBA’s Western Conference.
Jefferson, the Prentiss, Mississippi, native who ignored college scholarships to sign with the Boston Celtics in 2004, currently is averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. On offense, his smooth footwork and soft hands allow him to score in the paint even with three defenders draped over him. On defense, however, he is a work in progress. Nevertheless, Jefferson’s sterling play against the Suns was the difference maker and allowed 15,101 fans to exit Target Center and initiate dancing in the streets despite sub-zero temperatures.
The impromptu street dance was symbolic of the fact that the Wolves franchise, basketball’s equivalent of the St. Louis Browns, probably will not have to suffer the indignity of winning less than 10 games this season and thus tying (or exceeding) an NBA record.
Phoenix, on the other hand is the current favorite to dethrone the San Antonio Spurs as league champions. Led by assist king Steve Nash and monster-in-the-middle Amare Stoudemire, the Suns entered Wednesday’s game with 30 wins and only a dozen losses. Stoudemire, like Jefferson not a fan of academics, entered the NBA straight out of Cypress Creek High School in Florida. Two years older than Jefferson, he also is two years ahead of him in development. Against the Wolves, Stoudemire scored on 14 of 16 shots from the field.
The Suns came out running and soon held a 14-4 lead before relaxing and allowing Minnesota to forge ahead at 22-20. Rashad McCants’s three-pointer gave the Timberwolves a 32-27 lead as the quarter ended. Hot shooting allowed Minnesota to outscore Phoenix 15-5 at the start of the second quarter and take a 65-50 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The aggressive Wolves had out-rebounded Phoenix by 24-13 at the half. The totals for offensive rebounds were even more impressive – Minnesota 11, Phoenix 2.
“They beat us on the boards,” Phoenix coach Mike D’Antoni observed after the game. “We had no answers for that.”
Outscored 25-23 in the third quarter, the Wolves still clung to a 88-75 lead. As all good teams do, Phoenix made a run at Minnesota, closing the gap to seven points in the final minute before free throws by Corey Brewer and Sebastian Telfair resulted in the last three points for the Timberwolves.
Five Minnesota players finished in double figures including sub Brewer. Stoudemire scored 33 points for the Suns. Nash had 21 points and finished with 16 assists. When asked if the early Suns lead was too easy, D’Antoni agreed. “We turned it off,” he said. “They turned it on. We didn’t have enough fight in us. We were good but, we weren’t gritty.”