by Brad Miller
It wasn't the worst loss in team history, it just seemed like it. The Phoenix Suns clobbered the lifeless Minnesota Timberwolves Wednesday night 108-79, in a game in which the final score didn't indicate how bad it really got. The Suns, who led at half 60-45, began the 3rd quarter on an 11-0 run, and led the Wolves by as many as 40, 95-55 after consecutive 3 pointers by Jim Jackson.
The Suns offered up a balanced attack as six players scored in double figures, led by Amare Stoudemire's 23 points. Shawn Marion added 19, Quentin Richardson 17. Steve Nash scored 15 points and dished out 11 assists. Joe Johnson contributed 14 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists, while the newest Sun, Jim Jackson added 10 points off the bench.
The Wolves who scored a season low 79 points, were led by Wally Szczerbiak's 16 points. Trenton Hassell added 14. It was not a good outing for Kevin Garnett, who in his last game versus Phoenix, January 4 at the Target Center, scored a career high and team record 47 points. Wednesday night was a different story, as Phoenix bottled up Garnett the entire game, with double and sometimes triple teams. The reigning MVP finished with a season low 12 points to go along with his 13 rebounds.
After the game, a despondent Flip Saunders was virtually at a loss for words. "I speak for the entire team and myself, in saying that we are totally embarrassed by our performance tonight. We have a lot of questions, and no answers at this point. I have to get better, and the players have to get better. We are far from a playoff team at this point in the season." Szczerbiak, who sat slouched in front of his locker after the game, didn't have any answers either. "I don't know what to say. We have to figure this thing out and band together as a team. If we don't, teams are going run over us, like the Suns did tonight."
Game Notes. The Wolves were just 2 of 5 from the free throw line. Their lowest output on attempts and makes for the season . The Wolves shot just 14.3 % from 3-point range going a dismal 3 of 21. Point guard Sam Cassell left the game in the second quarter with a right shoulder contusion and did not return in the second half. Cassell missed 10 games last month, with a strained right hamstring.
