James works hard on scoring touch http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/basketball/15975053.htm The day before Timberwolves point guard Mike James scored a season-high 23 points against Sacramento this week, he was on the practice court, shooting three-pointers. His routine was to make three in a row before rotating to his next spot behind the arc. James shot while general manager Jim Stack rebounded for him at Sacramento's practice facility, well after teammates had left the court. "That's hard work paying off," James said. "I stay in the gym working on my game, so I expect my shot to go in." James might have found his scoring touch during a four-game road trip. He couldn't keep the Wolves from losing the past three games, but his performance was a bright spot, especially after his subpar debut in a Wolves uniform last week at home. Fans at Target Center saw James shoot just seven times, missing four, then spent the fourth quarter on the bench. Reserves in the backcourt led Minnesota to a 92-83 victory over Sacramento in the season opener. A second game against the Kings, Monday night at Sacramento, capped a more productive run for James, the team's prized free-agent acquisition last summer. He made 8 of 13 shots in that game after scoring a total of 37 points against Denver and Portland. He took a step back Tuesday during Minnesota's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, missing 10 of 14 shots. Still, he's shooting 45.2 percent this season, including 38.9 percent from three-point range, while averaging 15.2 points and 4.4 assists. Those numbers are closer to those from his breakout 2005-06 season with the Toronto Raptors (20.3 points and 5.8 assists). The Wolves entertain Orlando on Saturday, the second home game for James. He believes fans will see a different version of him than they saw in the season opener, when he picked up two fouls in the first quarter and never got on track. "Of course," James said. "I've learned to be just more aggressive and understanding where to pick and choose and get my attempts, and I'm slowing down a lot more. Things are starting to open up more, and I'm understanding more what the Wolves want me to do." What the Wolves want him to do, first and foremost, is help the team win. The Wolves are 2-3 and struggling to find better chemistry, especially with the starters on the court in the first and third quarters. In the past two games, the Wolves were outscored 105-79 in those quarters. Wolves coach Dwane Casey said he would like to see more ball movement on offense and a return to better defensive principles. James can help with those issues, Casey said. Briefly: Wolves forward Mark Madsen, who missed the first five games because of left knee soreness, practiced at full speed Thursday. If he doesn't suffer a setback, he will be probable for Saturday's game against Orlando, Casey said. "He looked like a new player today," Casey said. "He looked like he was ready for a Game 7. We'll have to see how (his knee) responds." ‧ Marko Jaric and Randy Foye were involved in a brief scuffle near the end of Thursday's practice, but it was quickly defused. Teammates Davis and Madsen were peacemakers. Casey said it was no big deal and just a typical NBA practice incident. --

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