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Carney, Foye help Timberwolves clip Bucks

Jan 11, 2009 - 5:13 AM MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Rodney Carney's best performance of the season, combined with a fourth-quarter surge, made sure the Minnesota Timberwolves remained perfect in 2009.

Carney scored 22 points off the bench and Randy Foye added 10 in the fourth quarter as the Timberwolves used a late spurt to edge the Milwaukee Bucks, 106-104, on Saturday.

Sebastian Telfair added 17 points and 11 assists while Ryan Gomes scored 16 for Minnesota, which outscored Milwaukee, 55-44, in the second half to improve to 5-0 since the calendar turned.

Al Jefferson registered 20 points and eight rebounds before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. But Minnesota had just completed a 9-2 run when Jefferson was disqualified with 1:29 left in the game.

"Everyone who played contributed, and everybody who contributed just really got gritty and got tough," said Minnesota coach Kevin McHale, who was ejected between the first and second quarters after referee Sean Corbin called him for a pair of technical fouls.

"It looked like we were going to get halfway up the mountain, but I didn't know if we were going to get over it."

Milwaukee led, 100-96, with just under five minutes remaining after Andrew Bogut sank consecutive jump shots to snap a tie. Gomes and Jefferson scored on consecutive possessions to again knot the game, then Foye sank a 3-pointer to put the Timberwolves ahead for good with 2:32 left.

"Give Minnesota all the credit for playing great down the stretch," Milwaukee's Michael Redd said. "It hurts because we had the lead for most of the game, but again, Minnesota fought back and fired up the crowd and did a great job scraping back."

Carney was 7-of-11 from the field, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, to finish three points shy of his career high set in his rookie season of 2006-07.

"Rodney kept us in it the whole game," McHale said. "Rodney was just phenomenal ... he's hard not to play because he just tries so hard and does everything you ask him to do."

"A tremendous shooting night for him (Carney)," Redd said. "They have a fire lit under them, obviously. It goes right to Kevin McHale and what he's doing over there. I think his ejection fired them up a bit."

The Bucks had several chances to take the lead in the final minute, but a pair of runners by Luke Ridnour were off the mark and Telfair sank a free throw with nine seconds left.

Michael Redd had an opportunity to send the game to overtime, but his turnaround jumper bounced off the rim as time expired.

"We didn't do what we were supposed to. Both games (including last night's last-second win

at New Jersey) came down to buzzer beaters," Jefferson said. "You can't expect to win on buzzer beaters every night."

Redd led the Bucks with 32 points and Richard Jefferson added 29. Ridnour contributed 12 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Bogut scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds in his first game after missing the previous four with back spasms.