Wolves record: 18-45
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Washington Wizards have followed nearly identical paths through this long and hard NBA season with nearly identical results – plenty of losses, plenty of injuries and plenty of instability on the bench.
Caron Butler had 27 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to lead the Wizards to a 110-99 victory over the Timberwolves on Monday night in a matchup of teams that had lost 14 straight combined.
Disaster struck in the fourth quarter with five minutes remaining in the game when Mike Miller tossed a high alley-oop pass to Randy Foye on the fast break. Unable to corral the ball, Foye fell to the ground and grabbed his right ankle, thriving in pain. Foye was then escorted off the court, applying no pressure to the injured ankle. Minnesota’s leading scorer without Al Jefferson was struggling to walk in the locker room following the game and the team staff is reporting Foye suffered a sprained right ankle with no long-term prognosis.
Minnesota also lost Rodney Carney in the second half due to a lower abdominal contusion to add salt to the Wolves wounds this season.
Foye was immediately helped up and carried into the locker room. He’s been diagnosed with a sprained right ankle.
Some 30 minutes later, when the media was allowed into the locker room, Foye was still walking with the help of a trainer and did not look like he was in good shape at all.
Before any injuries happened, the Wolves came out flat. They allowed fifth-year forward Darius Songaila to start the game 6-for-6 in the first quarter, scoring 13 of his season-high 19 points in the game. Caron Butler’s game-high 27 points and 10 rebounds coupled with 26 points from Antawn Jamison did in Minnesota, which allowed the Wizards to shoot 52.6 percent. Butler scored six points during a 13-0 fourth quarter run for Washington, which was a backbreaker.
All five Wolves starters finished in double digits, led by Gomes and Telfair with 18 points apiece. But there was never any hint of a momentum swing, and the loss of two players didn’t help matters at all.
“We don’t have a lot of confidence right now,” coach Kevin McHale said…
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