http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/basketball/16569241.htm Going 1-4 on a five-game road trip isn't reason for celebration. But for the Timberwolves, that victory could be enough to reverse the possibility of an extended downturn. The Wolves needed a victory sooner rather than later to affirm new coach Randy Wittman's style and demands. They lost their first two games under Wittman by a combined five points. They lost at Portland on Wednesday, the day after Dwane Casey was fired, and lost Friday night at Seattle. "This league is like, you know what; you could lose 55 games by one or two points, and nobody is going to care at the end of the day," Marko Jaric said. "We need to win." By beating the Los Angeles Clippers 101-87 Saturday night, the Wolves snapped a six-game losing streak and gained confidence in the foundation Wittman is trying to build. And they guaranteed they wouldn't have a hangover heading into tonight's game against the white-hot Phoenix Suns, who blew out the Wolves in the first game of the road trip. As Kevin Garnett said, you better believe 1-4 is better than 0-5 on that trip. "It feels good to get a win," he said. "We've been playing hard. We've been playing real hard. It's been a difficult week for all of us. We're just trying to grind it out the best way we can." Wittman spent much of his first week on the job emphasizing his ideas, which start with defense. The Wolves have given up too many points in the lane this season, and some of that has to do with dribble penetration of guards, not just layups and dunks by big men. When the perimeter defense collapses, it puts pressure on everyone else. Wittman also demanded more attention and focus during practices and shootarounds. A more serious tone already is being adopted. He also stressed to his players the importance of knowing their place in the big picture, as it relates to divisional and playoff races. Before playing the Clippers, Wittman said the winner of the game would win the season series and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker, if necessary, to make the playoffs. "I guess he wants us to be aware of that, because it makes you hungry," Garnett said. "When you fall a couple games, you know a team is on your (butt), you know what's at stake. I think more than anything, he wants the young guys to understand what that's all about." One of the Wolves' major reasons for making the coaching change was to give them a better chance to make the playoffs. But that reasoning has to be questioned. Would the Wolves, most likely the No. 8 seed if they make it to the playoffs, have a realistic chance of defeating teams such as Phoenix or Dallas in the first round? The franchise's first trip to the playoffs since 2003-04 would be nice, but with an upcoming NBA draft that is expected to be among the best in years, would it be worth it? Another loss tonight is likely, given that Phoenix is on the NBA's hottest streak in seven years with 17 straight victories. Garnett and Ricky Davis were suspended for Minnesota's most recent game against the Suns, but they should be back in the lineup tonight. "I think it helps," Wittman said of having faced Phoenix recently. "Although we didn't have Ricky and K.G., so they don't really get a good feel of exactly how fast-paced that game is. Hopefully, through their experience in playing they do, but until you get on the floor, it's a different speed of game than you're accustomed to normally." --

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