2000–01 Minnesota Timberwolves season

2000–01 Minnesota Timberwolves season
Head coach	Flip Saunders
Owners	Glen Taylor
Arena	Target Center
Results
Record	47–35 (.573)
Place	Division: 4th (Midwest) Conference: 8th (Western)
Playoff finish	First Round (Lost to Spurs 1–3)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

The 2000–01 NBA season was the Timberwolves' 12th season in the National Basketball Association. After the death of Malik Sealy, the Timberwolves scrambled to find a replacement for him, signing free agent Chauncey Billups, a close friend of Kevin Garnett while signing LaPhonso Ellis. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves secret free agent deal signed by Joe Smith was voided by the NBA, who ruled their proper procedure in signing the contract, while stripping their first round draft picks for the next five seasons and fined $3.5 million. Smith would sign with the Detroit Pistons, and the Timberwolves' owner Glen Taylor, and vice president Kevin McHale were both suspended for one year. Despite the troubles, the Timberwolves posted an 11-game winning streak midway through the season, and finished fourth in the Midwest Division with a 47–35 record, with Garnett being selected for the 2001 NBA All-Star Game.

In the first round of the playoffs, they would lose in four games to the San Antonio Spurs. Following the season, Ellis signed as a free agent with the Miami Heat and Tom Hammonds retired.

Draft picks

Main article: 2000 NBA Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College
2	51	Igor Rakocevic	PG/SG	Serbia

Roster

Minnesota Timberwolves roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From G 5 Avery, William 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 197 lb (89 kg) Duke G 4 Billups, Chauncey  6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 202 lb (92 kg) Colorado G 7 Brandon, Terrell 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Oregon G 11 Day, Todd 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 188 lb (85 kg) Arkansas F 3 Ellis, LaPhonso 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Notre Dame F/C 21 Garnett, Kevin 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Farragut Academy (HS) C 22 Garrett, Dean 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Indiana F 20 Hammonds, Tom 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Georgia Tech G 13 López, Felipe 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 180 lb (82 kg) St. John's F 42 Mitchell, Sam 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Mercer C 8 Nesterović, Rasho 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 255 lb (116 kg) Slovenia G 44 Peeler, Anthony 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 208 lb (94 kg) Missouri F 35 Slater, Reggie 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Wyoming G/F 10 Szczerbiak, Wally 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 244 lb (111 kg) Miami (OH)

Head coach Flip Saunders (Minnesota) Assistant coach(es) Greg Ballard (Oregon) Jerry Sichting (Purdue) Jimmy Williams (Ashland) Don Zierden (Mount Senario) Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured Roster

Regular season

Season standings

Midwest Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
z-San Antonio Spurs	58	24	.707	–	33–8	25–16	19–5
x-Utah Jazz	53	29	.646	5	28–13	25–16	14–10
x-Dallas Mavericks	53	29	.646	5	28–13	25–16	14–10
x-Minnesota Timberwolves	47	35	.573	11	30–11	17–24	11–13
Houston Rockets	45	37	.549	13	24–17	21–20	11–13
Denver Nuggets	40	42	.488	18	29–12	11–30	13–11
Vancouver Grizzlies	23	59	.280	35	15–26	8–33	2–22

Western Conference
#	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	z-San Antonio Spurs	58	24	.707	–
2	y-Los Angeles Lakers	56	26	.683	2
3	x-Sacramento Kings	55	27	.671	3
4	x-Utah Jazz	53	29	.646	5
5	x-Dallas Mavericks	53	29	.646	5
6	x-Phoenix Suns	51	31	.622	7
7	x-Portland Trail Blazers	50	32	.610	8
8	x-Minnesota Timberwolves	47	35	.573	11
9	Houston Rockets	45	37	.549	13
10	Seattle SuperSonics	44	38	.537	14
11	Denver Nuggets	40	42	.488	18
12	Los Angeles Clippers	31	51	.378	27
13	Vancouver Grizzlies	23	59	.280	35
14	Golden State Warriors	17	65	.207	41

z - clinched division title

y - clinched division title

x - clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

2000-01 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BOS	CHA	CHI	CLE	DAL	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	LAC	LAL	MIA	MIL	MIN	NJN	NYK	ORL	PHI	PHO	POR	SAC	SAS	SEA	TOR	UTA	VAN	WAS
Atlanta	—	1–3	0–4	2–2	2–2	0–2	1–1	0–4	2–0	0–2	2–2	1–1	1–1	0–3	1–3	0–2	1–3	2–2	1–3	0–3	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	2–2	0–2	1–1	2–2
Boston	3–1	—	0–4	2–1	2–1	0–2	2–0	3–1	0–2	1–1	1–3	2–0	0–2	2–2	1–3	1–1	4–0	1–3	1–3	0–4	2–0	1–1	0–2	0–2	2–0	1–3	1–1	0–2	3–1
Charlotte	4–0	4–0	—	3–1	2–2	0–2	0–2	2–2	2–0	0–2	3–1	2–0	0–2	2–2	3–1	1–1	4–0	1–2	2–1	2–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	3–1	1–1	1–1	2–2
Chicago	2–2	1–2	1–3	—	1–3	0–2	0–2	0–4	0–2	0–2	0–4	0–2	0–2	1–3	0–4	0–2	2–2	1–3	1–3	1–3	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	0–2	0–4	0–2	1–1	2–1
Cleveland	2–2	1–2	2–2	3–1	—	1–1	1–1	2–2	2–0	0–2	1–3	0–2	0–2	2–2	1–3	0–2	3–0	2–2	1–3	0–4	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–4	1–1	1–1	2–2
Dallas	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	1–1	—	3–1	1–1	4–0	2–2	1–1	4–0	0–4	2–0	1–1	3–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	1–3	3–1	2–0	2–2	3–1	2–0
Denver	1–1	0–2	2–0	2–0	1–1	1–3	—	1–1	4–0	3–1	1–1	2–2	2–2	0–2	1–1	2–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	0–4	2–2	2–2	2–2	2–2	0–2	1–3	4–0	1–1
Detroit	4–0	1–3	2–2	4–0	2–2	1–1	1–1	—	1–1	0–2	1–3	0–2	0–2	0–4	1–3	0–2	4–0	1–2	2–2	0–4	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	2–0	2–2	0–2	1–1	1–2
Golden State	0–2	2–0	0–2	2–0	0–2	0–4	0–4	1–1	—	1–3	2–0	1–3	1–3	0–2	0–2	2–2	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	2–2	0–4	0–4	0–4	0–4	0–2	1–3	1–3	0–2
Houston	2–0	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–2	1–3	2–0	3–1	—	2–0	1–3	1–3	1–1	2–0	2–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–3	1–3	0–4	1–3	2–2	2–0	1–3	4–0	2–0
Indiana	2–2	3–1	1–3	4–0	3–1	1–1	1–1	3–1	0–2	0–2	—	2–0	1–1	1–2	2–2	1–1	2–2	2–2	2–2	0–3	1–1	0–2	2–0	0–2	1–1	0–4	0–2	2–0	4–0
L.A. Clippers	1–1	0–2	0–2	2–0	2–0	0–4	2–2	2–0	3–1	3–1	0–2	—	1–3	0–2	1–1	2–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–2	2–2	1–3	0–4	0–4	1–1	0–4	2–2	1–1
L.A. Lakers	1–1	2–0	2–0	2–0	2–0	4–0	2–2	2–0	3–1	3–1	1–1	3–1	—	1–1	0–2	3–1	2–0	0–2	2–0	1–1	3–1	2–2	3–1	2–2	0–4	2–0	2–2	4–0	2–0
Miami	3–0	2–2	2–2	3–1	2–2	0–2	2–0	4–0	2–0	1–1	2–1	2–0	1–1	—	1–2	1–1	3–1	2–3	3–1	1–3	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–2	1–1	2–0	4–0
Milwaukee	3–1	3–1	1–3	4–0	3–1	1–1	1–1	3–1	2–0	0–2	2–2	1–1	2–0	2–1	—	0–2	4–0	1–2	4–0	2–2	0–2	0–2	2–0	2–0	0–2	3–1	2–0	1–1	3–1
Minnesota	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–3	2–2	2–0	2–2	2–2	1–1	2–2	1–3	1–1	2–0	—	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	3–1	3–1	2–2	1–3	3–1	2–0	2–2	3–1	1–1
New Jersey	3–1	0–4	0–4	2–2	0–3	0–2	1–1	0–4	1–1	1–1	2–2	2–0	0–2	1–3	0–4	1–1	—	2–2	1–3	1–3	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	1–2	0–2	1–1	3–1
New York	2–2	3–1	2–1	3–1	2–2	1–1	1–1	2–1	2–0	0–2	2–2	1–1	2–0	3–2	2–1	2–0	2–2	—	3–1	1–3	1–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–3	0–2	1–1	4–0
Orlando	3–1	3–1	1–2	3–1	3–1	1–1	2–0	2–2	2–0	1–1	2–2	1–1	0–2	1–3	0–4	1–1	3–1	1–3	—	3–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	2–1	0–2	2–0	3–1
Philadelphia	3–0	4–0	2–2	3–1	4–0	1–1	1–1	4–0	2–0	1–1	3–0	1–1	1–1	3–1	2–2	1–1	3–1	3–1	1–3	—	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–3	1–1	2–0	4–0
Phoenix	2–0	0–2	2–0	2–0	2–0	3–1	4–0	1–1	2–2	3–1	1–1	2–2	1–3	2–0	2–0	1–3	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	—	3–1	1–3	2–2	3–1	2–0	2–2	3–1	1–1
Portland	1–1	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	2–2	2–2	2–0	4–0	3–1	2–0	2–2	2–2	1–1	2–0	1–3	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–3	—	1–3	1–3	2–2	2–0	3–1	2–2	2–0
Sacramento	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–2	2–2	2–0	4–0	4–0	0–2	3–1	1–3	1–1	0–2	2–2	2–0	1–1	2–0	1–1	3–1	3–1	—	2–2	2–2	2–0	3–1	4–0	2–0
San Antonio	2–0	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	3–1	2–2	2–0	4–0	3–1	2–0	4–0	2–2	1–1	0–2	3–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–1	2–2	3–1	2–2	—	3–1	1–1	4–0	4–0	2–0
Seattle	1–1	0–2	2–0	2–0	2–0	1–3	2–2	0–2	4–0	2–2	1–1	4–0	4–0	1–1	2–0	1–3	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–3	2–2	2–2	1–3	—	0–2	0–4	3–1	2–0
Toronto	2–2	3–1	1–3	4–0	4–0	0–2	2–0	2–2	2–0	0–2	4–0	1–1	0–2	2–2	1–3	0–2	2–1	3–1	1–2	3–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	2–0	—	1–1	2–0	4–0
Utah	2–0	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–2	3–1	2–0	3–1	3–1	2–0	4–0	2–2	1–1	0–2	2–2	2–0	2–0	2–0	1–1	2–2	1–3	1–3	4–0	1–3	0–2	—	4–0	2–0
Vancouver	1–1	2–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–3	0–4	1–1	3–1	0–4	0–2	2–2	0–4	0–2	1–1	1–3	1–1	1–1	0–2	0–2	1–3	2–2	0–4	0–4	1–3	0–2	0–4	—	2–0
Washington	2–2	1–3	2–2	1–2	2–2	0–2	1–1	2–1	2–0	0–2	0–4	1–1	0–2	0–4	1–3	1–1	1–3	0–4	1–3	0–4	1–1	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–4	0–2	0–2	—

Playoffs

West First Round

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Minnesota Timberwolves

NBC Costas Guokas

April 21 5:30 pm

[1]

Minnesota Timberwolves 82, San Antonio Spurs 87
Scoring by quarter: 24–25, 13–26, 28–12, 17-24
Pts: Kevin Garnett 25 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 13 Asts: Terrell Brandon 8		Pts: Tim Duncan 33 Rebs: Tim Duncan 15 Asts: Duncan, Ferry 4 each

Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 33,983 Referees: Mark Wunderlich, Ron Garretson, Jack Nies

TNT Harlan, Thompson & Ainge

April 23 9:30 pm

[2]

Minnesota Timberwolves 69, San Antonio Spurs 86
Scoring by quarter: 16–20, 20–30, 15–24, 18–12
Pts: Kevin Garnett 18 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 12 Asts: Billups, Brandon, Garnett, Mitchell, Nesterovic, Szczerbiak 2 each		Pts: Tim Duncan 18 Rebs: Duncan, Robinson 11 each Asts: Duncan, Porter 4 each

Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 31,759 Referees: Luis Grillo, Joe Crawford, Hue Hollins

NBC Costas Guokas

April 28 5:30 pm

[3]

San Antonio Spurs 84, Minnesota Timberwolves 93
Scoring by quarter: 19–24, 23–23, 24–21, 18-25
Pts: David Robinson 22 Rebs: David Robinson 17 Asts: Derek Anderson 4		Pts: Kevin Garnett 22 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 8 Asts: Terrell Brandon 9

Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota Attendance: 17,676 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Joe DeRosa, Tim Donaghy

TNT Stockton & Brown

April 30 8:30 pm

[4]

San Antonio Spurs 97, Minnesota Timberwolves 84
Scoring by quarter: 19-19, 25-24, 27-20, 26-21
Pts: Tim Duncan 24 Rebs: Tim Duncan 16 Asts: Derek Anderson 6		Pts: Wally Szczerbiak 20 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 15 Asts: Terrell Brandon 6
San Antonio wins series, 3-1

Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota Attendance: 16,336 Referees: Bill Spooner, Bob Delaney, Dan Crawford

Last Playoff Meeting: 1999 Western Conference First Round (San Antonio won 3-1)

Player statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

Season

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
William Avery
Chauncey Billups
Terrell Brandon
Todd Day
LaPhonso Ellis
Kevin Garnett
Dean Garrett
Tom Hammonds
Sam Jacobson
Felipe Lopez
Sam Mitchell
Rasho Nesterovic
Anthony Peeler
Reggie Slater
Wally Szczerbiak

Awards and records

• Kevin Garnett, All-NBA Second Team
• Kevin Garnett, NBA All-Defensive First Team

See also

• 2000-01 NBA season