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Timberwolves search for second win vs. Hawks

Nov 24, 2007 - 2:29 PM Atlanta (4-7) at Minnesota (1-9) 8:00 pm EST

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- The Minnesota Timberwolves will be looking for just their second win of the season when they host the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.

After the blockbuster trade this summer that sent franchise icon Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics and yielded them five new players, the Timberwolves have struggled to find the right mix in the early going.

Coach Randy Wittman has been juggling the starting lineup on a game-to-game basis looking for the matchups that will yield the best results in the future, but the present has been rather ugly.

Minnesota dropped a 99-93 decision at Denver on Friday to fall for the fourth straight game. Rashad McCants, who began the season as the starting shooting guard, came off the bench and went just 1-for-15 from the floor and totaled five points.

The Hawks have managed to begin the season better than the Timberwolves, but not by much. They snapped a three-game losing streak on Wednesday at Miami, notching their first win away from home this season.

Joe Johnson leads Atlanta in scoring at 22.6 points per game, and fourth-year forward Josh Smith continues to improve, averaging 18.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 blocks and two steals per game.

The Timberwolves won both meetings between the teams last season.