MINNEAPOLIS — Kevin Garnett had 12 points and 11 rebounds in his third game back in Minnesota since he was traded in 2007, helping the Boston Celtics remain undefeated with a 92-90 victory over the Timberwolves on Wednesday night.

Rajon Rondo scored 14 of his 18 points in the third quarter for the Celtics (6-0), who join the Denver Nuggets as the only two teams in the league without a loss.

Garnett’s former team gave his current one all it could handle. The Wolves had a chance to tie in the final 10 seconds of the game. But Garnett forced a jump ball with Corey Brewer on an amazing defensive play to stay undefeated in five games against the Timberwolves.

Oleksiy Pecherov scored a career-high 24 points and Al Jefferson added 18 points for the Timberwolves, who led throughout the first three quarters before Eddie House hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie it going into the final period.

Garnett then made two nice passes to create easy layups to give the Celtics a 91-88 lead with 3 minutes to go.

The young Timberwolves had several chances down the stretch to tie or take the lead, but their inexperience came through with poor shot selection and rushed attempts.

Garnett spent his first 12 seasons with the Timberwolves, growing up from a skinny kid that jumped straight to the pros from high school into a dominant force on both ends of the floor. He owns nearly every franchise career record worth having, but the Timberwolves decided to part ways with the only star they have ever had.

In just his third game back in the arena that he essentially built, it would be hard to imagine Garnett even recognized the franchise that he put on the map.

Every player from his final season in Minnesota is gone and so is the architect of the Garnett years – Kevin McHale. Owner Glen Taylor fired McHale this offseason, hiring David Kahn as president of basketball operations and Kurt Rambis as head caoch.

The novelty of Garnett playing for another team in Target Center may have worn off, but it’s clear he is still missed by basketball fans in Minnesota. A near sellout crowd came out to see him, with thousands wearing Celtic green or a Garnett jersey – both the Boston and Minnesota varieties – to cheer their departed star.

Garnett received a standing ovation during introductions and was cheered throughout the game, but these young Timberwolves also took it as an opportunity to introduce themselves to a fan base that has turned indifferent in the years since KG left.

The Wolves led by eight at halftime and three with 6:44 to play, but couldn’t hang on against the battle-tested Celtics.

NOTES: Wolves PG Jonny Flynn, a Syracuse alum, said he’s been inundated with jabs since the Orange lost to Division-II Le Moyne. “I’m getting phone calls, text messages, they won’t stop!” Flynn said sheepishly. … Celtics F Rasheed Wallace was in midseason form, picking up a technical foul from the bench for jawing with officials after being whistled for a foul on Pecherov.

Magic 122, Suns 100

ORLANDO, Fla. — Ryan Anderson admits he’s been joking with Rashard Lewis about who will be the Orlando Magic’s starting power forward when the All-Star returns from suspension.

For now, it’s no joke: Anderson is filling in just fine.

Anderson had 20 and 10 rebounds, Dwight Howard scored 25 and the short-handed Orlando Magic defeated the previously unbeaten Phoenix Suns 122-100 on Wednesday night.

“How can I control it? I can’t do much more than what I’m doing now,” Anderson said about the starting spot. “I have a great opportunity to play now. Of course, it’s Rashard Lewis. It’s a given he’s going to play. He’s an All-Star. He’s going to help this team when he comes back. It will be great to even be his backup.”

Playing without injured Vince Carter and Lewis, the Magic built a 23-point lead in the third quarter to pull away from the Suns.

Amare Stoudemire finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds for Phoenix (4-1), which was looking to match the 1984-85 team for the franchise’s best start. The Suns had come back from deficits in the first half but never did come close after the Magic built a big lead late.

“Well, dreams of an undefeated season have gone down,” Suns coach Alvin Gentry said.

Jameer Nelson added 16 points, and Mickael Pietrus had 15 points for the Magic. And they did it despite Carter missing the game with a sprained left ankle that coach Stan Van Gundy said doesn’t appear serious, while Lewis is suspended for the first 10 games after testing positive for an elevated level of testosterone.

Nuggets 122, Nets 94

EAST
RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony woke up
the unbeaten Nuggets in a 44-point third quarter and Denver continued
its best start since 1985-86 with a victory over the winless Nets.

The
win was the fifth straight for Denver, one shy of the 85-86 start, and
it handed the Nets their fifth straight loss, tying the worst start in
franchise history, set in 1996-97.

Ironically, New Jersey led
51-50 at intermission until Denver put on an offensive show in the
third quarter, hitting 17 of 25 shots and outscoring the Nets 44-26.

Chris
Douglas-Roberts had 19 points to lead the Nets, who were without
All-Star guard Devin Harris and four other injured players.

Pacers 101, Knicks 89

NEW YORK — T.J. Ford scored eight of his 16 points in the final 3:12, and the Indiana Pacers won for the first time this season, holding the New York Knicks without a field goal for the final 9-plus minutes Wednesday night in a 101-89 victory.

Dahntay Jones had 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Pacers (1-3), who came in as one of the NBA’s three winless teams and had lost all three games by double digits. Roy Hibbert added 15 points and 14 rebounds.

Brandon Rush had 12 points and 10 rebounds as the Pacers pulled it out despite losing Danny Granger, who led Indiana with 21 points, to fouls with 3:38 remaining.

Al Harrington scored 22 points for the Knicks, who shot 2-for-17 in the fourth quarter. David Lee had 20 points and 19 rebounds, but New York hit 39.5 percent for the game.

The Pacers turned to their defense without leading rebounder Troy Murphy, who bruised his lower back in a hard fall during a 111-93 loss to Denver on Tuesday night. They are already without another top player, Mike Dunleavy Jr., who is recovering from surgery on his right knee.

They didn’t need them against the Knicks, who fell to 1-2 on a four-game homestand that concludes Friday with the only visit this season from LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Hibbert tied it at 76 early in the fourth, then Granger made a 3-pointer to give the Pacers the lead for good. Wilson Chandler’s jumper with 9:20 left made it a one-point game, but the Knicks were shut out from the field the rest of the night.

Heat 93, Wizards 89

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