<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 10 (Ticker) --Kevin Garnett and the Minnesota Timberwolves did it with defense. Garnett had 28 points and 17 rebounds and led a staunch defense down the stretch as the Timberwolves won their eighth straight home game, an 83-77 triumph over the Miami Heat. A jumper by Brian Grant, who had 17 points and nine rebounds, gave Miami a 73-72 lead with 6:34 remaining. But Minnesota allowed one basket the rest of the way while Garnett made a pair of big shots. "Around the six-minute mark, we knew we had to tighten it up a little bit and take it to another level, and we did that," Garnett said. A fadeaway jumper by Garnett gave the Wolves the lead for good with 5:06 left. Sam Cassell buried a jumper before Garnett banked in a 10-footer, making it 78-73 with 3:49 to go. "The first team at that point that gets up by five is probably going to get the momentum to carry it through," Minnesota coach Flip Saunders said. Grant's jumper with 3:21 to play was the last basket for the Heat, who closed to 81-77 on two free throws by Eddie Jones with 1:48 left. But Grant fumbled away a pass, the Heat surrendered an offensive rebound on a missed free throw and Rasual Butler was called for charging before Cassell's two free throws sealed it. "We won the game by doing the little things," said Wolves center Ervin Johnson, who scored 10 points. "Trenton Hassell kept the ball alive and got some key offensive rebounds. Mark (Madsen) stepped in and took a charge. Everybody did a great job, and the little things beat that team." Cassell scored 18 points for Minnesota, which has won six of the last seven meetings with Miami. "Bump and grind all night," said Garnett, who added six assists and two blocks. "In the fourth quarter, we started to execute and took the game from then on. Little things are going to win bump-and-grind games, and that's what you saw tonight." Lamar Odom had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, which fell to 0-2 on a six-game road trip. "If we play this hard on the rest of the trip, then we'll be in position each game to have a chance to win," Grant said. "And that's all we can ask for." Wolves guard Latrell Sprewell made just 2-of-12 shots. But both his baskets came in the fourth quarter and he helped hold Heat guard Eddie Jones to 2-of-16 shooting. "He took Eddie out of the game, and that made it equal them out," Cassell said. There were 15 lead changes and six ties. Garnett's follow shot gave Minnesota a 72-68 lead with 7:23 to go, but Grant had a three-point play before his jumper gave the Heat their last lead. </div> http://www.nba.com/games/20040110/MIAMIN/recap.html
