http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/basketball/16400921.htm If Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett is right, then today's game against Houston might be less about the Rockets' T-Mac than the Wolves' T-Hass. Trenton Hassell, Minnesota's top defender, is certain to play a key role when the streaking Western Conference rivals meet at the Target Center, if only because he'll have the primary responsibility of slowing Tracy McGrady, one of the hottest players in the NBA. But Hassell's contribution as an emerging scoring threat also could play a big role for the Wolves — not only this afternoon but also as the season goes deeper and the games get more important for a team searching for offensive consistency. After Friday's overtime victory over Philadelphia, Garnett credited Hassell with being the difference maker in both that game and Wednesday's big victory over San Antonio, also in overtime. "The last two wins have been because Trent Hassell has been more aggressive," Garnett said. "We told him to make decisions. … We basically put the ball in his hands, and he's been making some really good decisions." Hassell, a sixth-year guard who averaged almost 20 points a game at Austin Peay before making his NBA living as a defensive specialist, tied his career high with 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting Friday, including a tying 18-foot moon shot near the end of overtime, helping set the stage for Garnett's game-winner at the buzzer. Hassell scored 11 points in the San Antonio victory and is shooting better than 60 percent from the field over the past 5? weeks. "It's just a couple of games," Hassell said, downplaying the surge. In fact, his 6.4 scoring average this season is about the same as his career average. But it's no accident that Hassell has come alive on offense lately. Coach Dwane Casey and Garnett, among others, have talked to Hassell about asserting himself more into the offense and looking for shots. "He's a guy we need offensive output from," Casey said, "and we have sets for him, plays for him. We know he can make plays, and he's done a good job of doing that." Hassell routinely is a scoring leader in summer practice games, Casey said. "We're trying to get him to be that Trenton from summertime that takes quality shots, scores from the low post, knocks down tough shots, penetrates and pitches like a guard. Too many times once the game starts, he becomes tentative, which is a mystery." Not so much lately. "I'm getting more confidence," said Hassell, who also said he's getting better at working without the ball offensively, something he didn't have to learn in college because he usually had the ball. "I'm finding different ways to score, whether it's offensive rebounds, cutting off Ticket, hitting the open shot. Those are just things I wasn't doing earlier. I was standing in one spot, but now I'm trying to do a little bit more moving and playing off Ticket." Hassell seemed to turn a corner as an offensive player last season, picking up his scoring pace about midseason and looking more often to create shots. But with the additions of backcourt scorers such as Mike James and Randy Foye, and the contributions of frontcourt players Mark Blount and Craig Smith, Hassell said it was natural that he might fade more into a larger landscape of scorers on the team. But Casey wants to see Hassell become more of an offensive threat, if not a leader on that end of the floor, even as he's grinding defensively against the opponents' top threat. "You can do both. He's done both," Casey said. "He did both (Friday) night. He did both against San Antonio. …" Garnett seems just as certain. "I don't think people know how big of an IQ, basketball-wise, that he has," Garnett said. "He knows how to make plays. He knows how to make other guys better." The immediate impact during a game when Hassell scores is that he draws more attention and opens things up for the rest of the offense. "And when we get it moving," Hassell said, "we're a tough team to beat." It also makes his high-scoring counterpart, Garnett, work harder at the Wolves' end of the floor. "You've got to do that, too," Casey said. "You've got to make sure you don't let him rest at the defensive end." It's up to Hassell to show whether that'll be enough to slow McGrady, who is coming off a season-high 44 points Friday night against Utah and is averaging 30 points a game since Rockets center Yao Ming fractured his knee two weeks ago. For now, Hassell said he's preparing more for the defensive end of the court with a scorer the caliber of McGrady coming to town. But that doesn't mean he won't be looking for his shot today. "Hopefully, I'll make them," he said. --

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