MINNEAPOLIS – Kevin Garnett had 25 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists and Richie Frahm hit key shots in the fourth quarter to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 109-98 victory over the Washington Wizards on Thursday night.

Wally Szczerbiak scored 17 points, and Frahm and Troy Hudson added 16. Six Timberwolves players scored in double figures as Minnesota snapped a two-game losing streak.

Gilbert Arenas had 33 points and Caron Butler added 15 for Washington, which has lost two straight. The Wizards had five players in double figures.

After building a 15-point lead, Minnesota let Washington back in the game in the third quarter. But, two hustle plays and Frahm’s shooting, restored the Wolves’ double-digit lead midway through the fourth.

With the Wolves hanging on to an 86-83 lead, Szczerbiak dove for a loose ball and passed ahead to Frahm for a dunk. Then, after Hudson took a charge, Frahm hit a 3-pointer to make it 93-83 with 6:07 left.

The Wizards did not get closer than eight points the rest of the way as Frahm hit two more 3-pointers down the stretch.

Minnesota shot 53.5 percent from the field with Garnett hitting 12-of-19 shots and Frahm hitting 6-of-7.

The Wolves extended a 10-point halftime lead to 76-63 on Marko Jaric’s dunk with 3:17 left in the third. Butler then sparked a run with four straight points as the Wizards began to cut the deficit.

Arenas hit two straight 3-pointers to complete the 15-3 run and bring Washington within 79-78 heading into the fourth.

Garnett shot 5-for-6 from the field in the second quarter, including a 20-footer at the buzzer to give Minnesota a 57-47 halftime lead.

The score was tied at 26 after one quarter.

Michael Olowokandi was battling the flu on Wednesday and was questionable for the game, but started and came out strong. He had eight points, two rebounds and a blocked shot in the first quarter.

Notes: Minnesota entered the game ranked 23rd in scoring, averaging just 93.1 points per game. … The Wolves have beaten the Wizards six straight times in Minnesota. … Andray Blatche, the Wizards rookie out of high school, was looking forward to meeting his idol, Garnett, for the first time. “To come see him play in person, man, I can’t find the words,” said Blatche, who is almost fully recovered from gunshot wounds suffered in a carjacking incident on Sept. 25. Blatche was inactive for the game. … Butler’s mother Mattie Paden, from Racine, Wis., was in attendance.

AP-ES-11-17-05 2146EST

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