Ellis' big night helps Warriors to hang on

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Dec 27, 2007 | by Glenn Reeves

OAKLAND -- Monta Ellis has to be seen in person to be appreciated.

There are a lot of 6-foot-3 guys in the world who dabble at playing basketball. Not many can play two-guard in the NBA.

Ellis can do it, we are told, because of superior quickness, skill and athleticism.

But those words don't quite tell the story.

You don't quite understand until you are an eyewitness to him getting to the hoop at will against the greatest basketball players in the world, or at least, as was the case Wednesday, against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Ellis had 17 points in the first 17 minutes as the Warriors built a 22-point lead at 50-28.

But what looked like an easy Warriors win turned into anything but that. And it was Ellis (career-high 35 points) with his will to take it at the rim who saved Golden State, converting a three-point play late in the fourth quarter to help thwart a Minnesota comeback as the Warriors held on for a 105-101 victory in front of 19,596 at Oracle Arena.

The Warriors were hot from 3-pointfrom Sports 1

range in building their big first-half lead. They went 1-for-14 on 3s in the second half when the Timberwolves nearly came all the way back.

After Ellis cooled down in the second quarter, his fellow 6-3 backcourt confederate and team leader, Baron Davis, took over. Davis also had 17 by halftime as the Warriors led 56-43 at the break.

But that lead was a little too close for comfort as well as an indication of what was to transpire at the end of the game.

The inside game of Al Jefferson (20 points, 19 rebounds) along with 6-7, 250-pound Craig Smith, allowed Minnesota to get back in the game.

The Warriors extended their 13-point halftime lead to 18 before allowing the Timberwolves, fresh off coming back from a 21-point deficit to beat Indiana, back in the game. The Warriors misfired from 3-point range, and the T-Wolves, working the paint, cut it to two in the final minute.

A driving layup by Davis, who finished with 27 points, got the Warriors some breathing room at 100-96.

Now that the Warriors tasted the playoffs last season and are considered a potential playoff team again, they have to beat teams like the Timberwolves at home.

They were reminded by their fans.

They were also reminded by their coach, Don Nelson.

"We're not as good as our record," Nelson said before the game. "We can't not play hard against anybody and expect to win. We have to make shots to be at our best."

The Timberwolves came in with an NBA-worst record of 4-22.

"They've got good players," Nelson said. "They have a terrific big man, and that's a good start."

Nelson was referring to Jefferson, one of five players Minnesota received for Kevin Garnett. Jefferson, who came in averaging 20.3 points and 12.0 rebounds per game, is, like Ellis, a former high school player from Mississippi who made the jump from high school to the NBA. But Ellis, who was one year behind Jefferson, said he never played against Jefferson in high school.