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MINNEAPOLIS -- After a strong start to the season, the Atlanta Hawks never thought theyd be in a fight to make the playoffs when April came rolling around. Patriots Easley Jersey . If they dont find a way to stop the tumble theyve been on before March closes, they could find themselves on the outside looking in. Gorgui Dieng had 15 points and 15 rebounds to continue his out-of-nowhere emergence, and the Minnesota Timberwolves dealt the slumping Hawks another costly loss with a 107-83 victory. "I think to a certain degree each guy has just got to find it in him," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "And I think the group has got to find the energy that the group can build. Weve spent most of this season playing with very good energy, so I think theres a lot of things we can pull on an reference to how we want to play and tonight would not be one of those nights." Paul Millsap had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Atlanta (31-39), which has lost four straight and has the New York Knicks right in their rearview mirror for the eighth and final playoff spot. Jeff Teague, who had averaged more than 23 points over the previous four games, went scoreless for the first time this season on 0-for-5 shooting. "I think we just didnt come ready to play," Hawks guard DeMarre Carroll said. "Once we started missing a lot of shots, then we lost our focus. At this time of year, you cant lose your focus." Corey Brewer and Kevin Martin each scored 18 points and Kevin Love had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Timberwolves. Minnesota scored 32 points off 26 Hawks turnovers and blew the game open in the second half. The struggling Wolves defence held Atlanta to 37.8 per cent shooting and had six of its 17 steals in the third quarter to start pulling away. With starting centre Nikola Pekovic out for the sixth straight game, Wolves coach Rick Adelman had no choice but to thrust the rookie Dieng into the first significant minutes of his career. Dieng has flourished with the added responsibility, posting double-doubles in five of the six games. He had 10 points and 13 rebounds in the first half, helping the Wolves weather an unusually quiet night from Love. "I dont care what the record is or where we are in the season, were trying to make them believe that we still have work to do," Wolves coach Rick Adelman said. "We still have to get better as a team and as individuals." The last time these two teams met, on Feb. 1, the Hawks overcame 43 points and 19 rebounds from Love to win for the fifth time in seven games. That put them at 25-22 and in third place in the Eastern Conference. But the Hawks have gone 6-17 since then, a slide exacerbated by injuries to Gustavo Ayon and Kyle Korver, who missed his fourth straight game with back spasms. Atlantas crumbling, combined with a surprising surge from the Knicks, turned a playoff spot that once appeared to be a foregone conclusion into anything but a sure thing. They led the ninth-place Knicks by three games for the final spot in the muddled East. And yet on Wednesday night it was the Wolves, who have essentially been out of the Western Conference playoff race for about two weeks and were completely deflated after a home loss to the Suns on Sunday, who played with the urgency and tenacity on defence of a team that needs every win it can get. "We needed a game like this in order to get our spirits up," Love said. "It was good for us. It goes to show you were down, but were not out." The Hawks had won five straight games after an ugly string of 14 losses in 15 games. But they dropped games to the Pelicans, Raptors, Suns and Wolves to allow the Knicks to creep back into the race. "Were a close team," Hawks forward Mike Scott said. "Weve been through a slump before. Its not good at all. But we know how to do good things, were professionals and were going to stick together." NOTES: Ricky Rubio had four points on 1-for-6 shooting, but he also had 10 assists and six steals. He had to leave in the first quarter to get 15 stitches in his upper lip after a collision with Hawks forward Mike Scott. ... Hawks F Mike Muscala, who played in high school in the Minneapolis suburb of Roseville, had eight points and four rebounds in 23 minutes. Patriots Dominique Easley Alternate Jersey . -- Marcus Smart had an off game and Oklahoma State lost in a rematch with Memphis. Patriots Tedy Bruschi Jersey For Sale . Baskonia said on Saturday that Odoms personal doctors in New York have ruled him unfit to play for two months, meaning he has "finished his present contract.WASHINGTON - Catcher Wilson Ramos is in the Nationals starting lineup, hitting fifth, after coming off the 15-day disabled list. The Nationals reinstated Ramos before Wednesdays game against the Los Angeles Dodgers and optioned right-handed pitcher Blake Treinen to Triple-A Syracuse. Ramos missed 32 games after breaking a bone in his left wrist on opening day, March 31. Patriots Dominique Easley Youth Jersey. Ramos says: "My hand feels good. Im ready to go. I was ready for this moment and I have to enjoy it." Treinen made his first major league start Tuesday night, pitching five innings in an 8-3 loss to the Dodgers. Also, outfielder Nate McLouth is not in Wednesdays lineup after cutting his hand on a catch Monday night. ' ' ' |
