http://www.startribune.com/511/story/1032278.html Welcome to the jungle. That is Kevin Garnett's word, uttered shortly after the Wolves had absorbed a second consecutive 26-point beating at home, this time 109-83 to a Utah Jazz team returning to full health for the stretch run. Garnett had been asked about coach Randy Wittman's attempt to shake things up by shaking up his rotation off the bench, an experiment that bore absolutely no fruit on Friday at Target Center. Utah opened the second quarter with runs of 11-0 and 11-3, turning a relatively close game into a rout. "Witt's in a tornado here; he's inherited a jungle if you will," said Garnett, who scored a game-high 22 points but was just 5-for-13 in the first half. "[He's] trying to figure out combinations," Garnett added. "He's trying to find a group that meshes. He's like everybody else, trying to figure it out." The tipoff was delayed by a half-hour when it was discovered during warmups that one of the baskets was too high and had to be replaced. All it did was delay the inevitable. The Wolves have lost consecutive home games by 26 points and have lost five of their past six. This five-game home stand ended with a 1-4 record. Friday marked the first time in franchise history the Wolves had lost consecutive home games by 20 or more points. Wittman had promised some changes in the rotation after Thursday's practice, and it didn't take long to find out what those would be. First, Troy Hudson -- who had played in just 27 of the Wolves' 57 games -- was dusted off and inserted into the lineup as the first player off the bench. After Garnett sat down early in the second, the Wolves went with the lineup of Mike James, Craig Smith, Marko Jaric, Randy Foye and Mark Blount. The Jazz responded by making 12 of its first 14 field-goal attempts in the second quarter. When Deron Williams hit a three-pointer with 6:51 left in the half, the Jazz had a 44-24 lead that was never less than 14 points again. "That's been our nemesis, trying to find a group when Kevin goes out," Wittman said. "We need somebody to step up." More and more, Garnett's frustration is showing. "Consistency is the big question here," Garnett said. "I've always said it. It's something we don't have. We're in March and we still don't have a real identity." Asked if the talent was there to win, Garnett said: "Talent is there. [But] talent ain't always the answer. Having chemistry, having guys who share the ball, understand team basketball, guys who understand their roles." Problem is, if the Wolves want any role in the upcoming playoffs, an identity will have to be found soon. "No one's getting any younger here," Garnett said. "Time is flying. And at the same time, the schedule isn't getting any easier." --

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