11/03/2008 - 20:31
Hot Hand Not Enough
by Cherome Owens

No.1 did all he could, but his up-and-coming Wolves couldn't overpower Oklahoma City on Sunday night, giving the Thunder its first win in franchise history.

Minnesota center Al Jefferson said what Rashad and the rest of the Timberwolves were feeling:

“It’s a game we’re supposed to have wonWe gave up 25 points second-chance. That’s why it hurts so bad...No disrespect to the Thunder, but it was just a game we had in the bag and we should have won.”

No. 1 finished the night with four points, three assists and a steal in 19 minutes.

DALLAS DEFEAT
Rashad’s team-high 18 points weren't enough to put away the visiting Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night, but he was on all cylinders, hitting 6-of-8 shots from the floor in 27 minutes of action.

The Mavericks outscored a Minnesota lineup without No.1, 13-0, early in the first quarter, forcing the younger, less-experienced Wolves to play catch-up for most of the game.

Afterward, as reported by Mavs.com, Rashad spoke about the loss:

"I think we have to keep our poise, especially on the offensive end. We have a lot of talent and guys that can score, so we need to play defense more. When we do that, we'll have a better chance to capitalize on opportunities in the fourth quarter. The whole game we had opportunities to get buckets, and then the fourth quarter came and we couldn't get anything to fall."

"It's execution and defensive stops. They capitalized on our turnovers and missed shots. We could've played them a little bit better, but we came in and did what we knew we could do and make them work for everything they got. Dirk made some tough shots, being the All-Star he is. He did some All-Star stuff out there."

"All I can control is when I come in and produce what I can do. I think it's my duty as the sixth man to come in and give a spark, so I think that's what I did."

JAM SESSION
Rashad owned the second quarter against the Mavericks, scoring nine points, including a thunderous dunk at the 8:26 mark to bring the crowd to its feet. His jam-a-thon wasn’t over yet -- he followed with another slam in the third quarter to cut the lead to 67-64.

Minnesota outrebounded Dallas 42-38, and for a period beginning in the late-first quarter, scored 36 consecutive points in the lane or at the foul line.

Rashad knocked down two free throws with 11:41 left to pull the Wolves within 67-65, but Dallas scored 13 of the next 17 points and never relinquished the lead.

“We had a chance to win this game,” Wolves coach Randy Wittman said. “My hat’s off to Dallas; they won the game. But this is a game I thought we could have won. And a little bit of our doing cost us that, more than anything else.”

SLAM blogger Myles Brown had high praise for Rashad's play against Dallas, and saw No. 1 as criticial to the success of the Wolves this season.

Rashad McCants played a perfectly subdued game, with 18 points on a scant 8 shots, finishing with +4 on the evening. Though he still may have eyes for the starting lineup, Shaddy seems to have temporarily accepted his role as an instant offense reserve. He willingly looked for teammates, acknowledged and corrected mistakes and was a positive influence on the court. If he can continue to ignore any selfish temptations and incorporate himself into the offense, his arsenal could become even more dangerous. His teammates won’t always have such of nights from the floor and when they’re clicking inside and out, the defense will be stretched, the driving lanes should be that much bigger, and the double teams should come less. Giving a player who can score from anywhere more room to operate may be the key to maximizing the potential of such a talented offensive unit.

NEXT UP
Rashad will try to help the young Wolves (1-2) end the two-game skid when they face a veteran team in the San Antonio Spurs (0-2). Action is set to begin on Wednesday at 8 p.m.

RELATED STORIES
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Timberwolves-Thunder Preview (ESPN.com, November 2, 2008)
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Lack of trust leads to loss for Minnesota Timberwolves against Mavericks (TwinCities.com, November 2, 2008)
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Nowitzki’s 21 points help Mavs whip Wolves for first win of season (ESPN.com, November 1, 2008)
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Thunder surge to first win behind Durant, Westbrook (ESPN.com, November 2, 2008)
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Game Notes: Mavs at Timberwolves (SLAM Online, Nov. 3, 2008)
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