http://www.startribune.com/511/story/1105880.html It's an old model, built around two stars of advancing years now, in a vision -- Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury, together again -- that most fans in the Twin Cities dropped seasons ago. Not in New York, of course, where an insatiable media and Isiah Thomas' endless gushing about the Wolves' best player keep the musty dream (or frayed fantasy) alive. While the tabloids seize on every Wolves visit to speculate anew on Garnett someday joining the Knicks, Thomas sends mash notes that never quite veer into tampering. "He's very stubborn about being consistent and good," the Knicks coach said before the game. "There are very few nights where you don't see him bring the same intensity, energy and concentration to a basketball game." Fine, we get it -- Thomas will phone Wolves boss Kevin McHale this summer. Yet in Minnesota's entertaining and 99-94 victory Friday night at Madison Square Garden that truly pleased neither coach, some of the best moments for each team came with Marbury and Garnett off the court. When Garnett sat for all but 2:23 of the second quarter, in full assistant coach mode, an all-reserves lineup went on a 15-4 run that restored, then added to the fat lead Minnesota's outside shooting had opened earlier. Randy Foye, Craig Smith and Rashad McCants keyed that stretch, putting their club up 58-41 at halftime. That group cranked up ball movement that already was crisp. "We've been playing a lot together in practice, so we tried to move the ball for easy shots," said Foye, who hit 5-of-6 three-pointers and led the Wolves with 19 points. Marbury had left early in the second quarter, suffering from right "turf toe" on a Knicks squad already missing Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson, Steve Francis and Kelvin Cato. That freed up third-quarter minutes for compact Nate Robinson, who scored 11 points in a pesky 13-3 run that cut Minnesota's 67-51 lead to 70-64. New York didn't stop there, making it 74-70 as the period ended and getting all the way back on Mardy Collins' two layups to start the fourth. The Wolves starters helped, back in the bad habit of one or no passes. "I have not figured out why we cannot duplicate halves," Garnett said, "especially when we have one like tonight." Around through the Knicks' big third quarter (29-15), Garnett stayed for the whole fourth, too. The Wolves (32-43) did just enough to win: Never let New York lead, built some cushion, attended to big Eddy Curry (five turnovers in six minutes before he fouled out) and moved the ball a little. Ricky Davis' three-pointer at 1:31 helped them breathe. Marbury came back for the final 37.9 seconds, the Knicks down 96-92, but never got a shot. Renaldo Balkman's putback cut it to 96-94 at 16.8 seconds, but the Wolves got six free throws and made half. Notes ‧ Nearly three hours before tipoff, the sounds of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" could be heard through the halls, a sound check for Diana Ross' appearance elsewhere Friday in the Garden. Knicks great Walt Frazier, waiting for an elevator, smiled and told an MSG employee: "Tell her Clyde wants to see her later." ‧ TheWolves held their morning shootaround at an Upper East Side health club. A climbing wall stood between two gyms. Coach Randy Wittman said: "I said if someone made it to the top, no practice." No takers, either. ‧ Ricky Davis will hold an Easter dinner Sunday for 25 children and their families. --

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