It's kids' day for Wolves http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/basketball/14305192.htm The Timberwolves ended exhibition play in October. It resumed Sunday, with six games remaining in the regular season. The Wolves' season took perhaps its strangest turn Sunday when Kevin Garnett was shut down, perhaps for the rest of the season, as the youth movement hit full speed. Garnett had made 351 consecutive starts, the longest active streak in the NBA. That ended against the Atlanta Hawks, but rookie Rashad McCants scored a career-high 28 points in the Wolves' 84-83 win. Coach Dwane Casey said it is possible Garnett will not play in any of the remaining five games as the team develops young players for the future. With the Wolves eliminated from playoff contention, Garnett didn't even suit up Sunday. Ricky Davis, the Wolves' second-leading scorer, also was out and might not return. Officially, the explanation listed on an injury report was that Garnett (right knee tendinitis) and Davis (left groin strain) are battling nagging injuries. In reality, the Wolves shut them down because the team essentially has begun summer-league play a few months early. Casey said he hasn't determined whether Garnett and Davis will see the court again before the season ends. "With Ricky's groin the way it is and to save miles on Kevin's knees, it's just better to go ahead and not even be tempted to give them those minutes," Casey said. Garnett watched the game from the locker room. A team spokesman said during the fourth quarter that Garnett had left the building and would not be available for postgame comments. Davis watched from the bench and also left early. Garnett had started every Wolves game since Feb. 19, 2002, when he missed a victory at Dallas for personal reasons. The Wolves improved to 3-11 with Garnett sitting out, dating to his rookie season in 1995-96. It remains to be seen whether the NBA will have anything to say about Minnesota's use, or lack thereof, of Garnett and Davis to ensure competitive balance and equity. Teams competing for playoff positioning might not be too happy about the Wolves using a less-than-full-strength lineup. Four of the Wolves' five remaining games are against teams jockeying for playoff seeding. Utah still is mathematically alive for the playoffs, and it picked up a win Friday against the Wolves as Garnett sat out the fourth quarter. Casey said he still is trying to win games and doesn't think the team will hear from the league. He also said his first obligation is to develop the team. "We owe it to our fans to develop and to be ready for next year, so that we don't go through the same thing next year," Casey said. That process is well underway. McCants, who made 12 of 18 shots, missed a drive to the basket with 31.9 seconds remaining when he took a tough left-handed hook shot with the Wolves leading 82-81. Atlanta's Joe Johnson made a shot in the lane with 17.5 seconds remaining to give Atlanta an 83-82 lead. With 8.9 seconds left, a play designed to go to McCants resulted in Marcus Banks getting a shot blocked. Wolves veteran Trenton Hassell controlled the loose ball, and he scored in a scrum down low with 1.9 seconds remaining for the winning basket. Banks, a third-year pro who struggled with five turnovers, blocked a shot by Atlanta's Tyronn Lue to secure the victory as time expired. --

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