The Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS - All season, Kevin Garnett, Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell led the way for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Cassell was the only one who pulled his weight in Game 1 of their second-round series against Sacramento. So it wasn't surprising the top-seeded Wolves lost the game, along with home-court advantage.

Neither team expects the NBA's highest-scoring trio to falter that way again.

"We expect that they're going to come back stronger and they're going to respond," Sacramento's Peja Stojakovic said Tuesday after the Kings beat Minnesota 104-98. "We've got to be ready for that."

Game 2 is Saturday night in Minneapolis.

It could have been ugly for the Wolves had it not been for Cassell, who scored 40 points for the second time this postseason.

Although he had 18 rebounds, Garnett was held scoreless in the third quarter and finished with a quiet 16 points - almost 10 below his average entering the game.

"I was a little overzealous," Garnett said. "I didn't really play the game I was hoping for."

Whenever the Wolves dumped the ball into the post, Garnett was usually met by Chris Webber, Vlade Divac or Brad Miller - or a combination of defenders.

"I don't care if you're the MVP of this league," Wolves backup center Mark Madsen said. "If you have three men running at you, you need help."

Sprewell, who wasn't available for comment after the game, didn't provide much of it. He shot 2-of-14 for five points.

Webber is expecting better out of Garnett and Sprewell.

"I know him," Webber said. "And we better come back ready, 'cause he's not going to have a game like that again. Him or Spree."

PACERS: Forward Jermaine O'Neal won the Magic Johnson Award for his cooperation with the media. The award is voted on by the Professional Basketball Writers Association.

"I'm going to go home and put this up on the mantel, right next to the space for the MVP trophy I'm going to get next year," O'Neal said. "There's still a space there."

76ERS: Philadelphia hired Dick Harter, who was Charlotte's first head coach from 1988-90, as an assistant to new coach Jim O'Brien.

HORNETS: General manager Bob Bass retired after a coaching and front-office career spanning more than a half-century, including nine years with the Hornets.