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Garnett, Davis lead Timberwolves past Grizzlies

Jan 13, 2007 - 5:10 AM MEMPHIS, Tennessee (Ticker) -- Once again, Kevin Garnett showed why he is playing his best basketball since the start of the new year.

Garnett scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves posted a 116-110 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Ricky Davis tied his season high with 27 points and added seven rebounds and seven assists for Minnesota, which won for the fifth time in its last six games.

"The Grizzlies play hard at home and that picks up my intensity a bit to play hard right with them," Davis said.

Since January 1, Garnett has averaged 26.2 points and 14.3 rebounds in six games. The 2004 MVP recorded his eighth straight double-double and league-high 30th of the season for Minnesota, which won for the first time in five games here.

"Kevin is playing great basketball," Timberwolves coach Dwane Casey said. "Great quarterbacking of this basketball team. He shoots the ball well, he passes well, he rebounds. We trying to come together as a team, but Kevin's play is helping to make it a lot easier for the guys right now."

Mike James had 16 points and also handed out seven assists for the Timberwolves, who were coming off a 92-91 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday when Garnett missed a jumper at the buzzer.

The nine-time All-Star shot 10-of-21 from the floor and blocked five shots against Memphis to prevent any last-second comeback from Memphis.

"We saw Memphis score 46 points in a quarter against the Lakers on Tuesday," Garnett said. "That's unheard of. So we knew we were going to get some chances to score tonight because they'd give up some buckets."

"Kevin is a superstar," Grizzlies interim coach Tony Barone said. "You expect superstars to get the job done, and he did. That's what he's supposed to do."

Minnesota shot 52 percent (42-of-81) in posting a season high in points.

"The key for us was to take good shots," Davis said. "If we take good shots and get what we want on offense, it helps us to slow down the other team's fast break."

Mike Miller scored 23 points and dished seven assists and Pau Gasol added 20 points for Memphis, which fell to a league-worst 9-28, including 3-4 under Barone.

"They did some things to limit my open looks, but the bottom line is execution," Miller said. "We had some mistakes and didn't really get comfortable for any stretch in this game."

Dahntay Jones had 16 points and fellow reserve Brian Cardinal added 13 for the Grizzlies, who shot 51 percent (40-of-78) and lost for just the second time in their last eight games against Minnesota.

"It's always frustrating to lose, especially when there are a lot more losses than wins," Gasol said. "We haven't been able to put two consecutive wins together yet."