Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS -- The hard-driving Phoenix Suns had been blowing through the NBA in January, piling up points, highlights and victories at breakneck speed.
They finished the month just one win away from perfection after crashing into a 6-foot-11 road block named Kevin Garnett
Longest NBA Winning Streaks Wins Team Year(s) 33 Lakers 1971-72 20 Bucks 1971 19 Lakers 2000 18 Bulls 1995-96 18 Celtics 1982 18 Knicks 1969 17 Suns 2006 17 Spurs 1996 17 Celtics 1959-60 17 Wash. Capitols 1946 16 Lakers 1999-2000 16 Trail Blazers 1991 16 Lakers 1991 16 Bucks 1970 16 Celtics 1964-65
Garnett almost single-handedly snapped the Suns' 17-game winning streak, scoring 44 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in Minnesota's 121-112 victory on Monday night.
"People who say he can't carry the load, take a look at this game film," new Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman said.
The All-Star forward, sometimes criticized for not coming up big in the clutch, was everywhere in the final period against the Suns, dropping turnaround jumper after turnaround jumper to give Phoenix its first loss of 2007.
He scored 15 points in the fourth, including a looping fallaway from the baseline that gave Minnesota a 118-109 lead with 1:55 to play, and put Wittman on the way to a win in his home debut.
"It's just about being a presence," Garnett said. "It's about making them have to deal with me. I will continue to take that approach."
Raja Bell scored 26 points and Steve Nash had 20 points and 18 assists for the Suns, who were looking to tie for the fourth-longest winning streak in NBA history.
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But one night after downing LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers for No. 17 in a row, the Suns couldn't find an answer for Garnett and uncharacteristically lost their offensive mojo in the fourth quarter.
After scoring 95 points in the first three quarters, Phoenix managed just 19 in the fourth and looked a little stagnant.
Nash dissected the Wolves' defense for the first three quarters, piling up assists at a near-record pace. But he scored just three points on 1-of-6 shooting and had just one assist in a final period that belonged to Garnett.
"Better to lose that way than to lose when we beat ourselves," Nash said. "Kevin was sensational. We just didn't make shots at the end at the clip Kevin was making them."
The Suns were in deep trouble midway through the fourth quarter thanks to three big shots by Garnett and some dirty work on the boards by Mark Madsen
Madsen, an offensive liability for most of his seven years in the league, hit a fallaway jumper just outside the lane to cap an 8-0 run, then gave Minnesota a 112-107 lead with 3:38 to play after he scooped up a rebound and laid it in.
Garnett followed with a twisting, turning fadeaway on the baseline that brought the crowd to its feet.
Yet the Suns handled their first loss since a 101-99 defeat at Dallas on Dec. 28 much the way they handled the 17 wins that preceded it -- with a collective shrug and "aw shucks."
"It was cool while it lasted," Bell said.
When the final buzzer sounded, Garnett came over to Wittman and stood eye-to-eye with the new coach, shouting encouragement before stomping off the floor. Wittman took over for the fired Dwane Casey last week.
"I think we all felt bad when Case lost his job," Garnett said. "No one ever wants to get fired or traded ... It was really heartfelt in letting (Wittman) know that we'll fight for you every night."
Ricky Davis had 17 points for the Timberwolves, who shot 59 percent and simply wore the Suns down in the final minutes.
Shawn Marion had 24 points and 10 rebounds and Leandro Barbosa added 17 for Phoenix, which entered the night 15-0 in January.
"We'll start another one," Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said. "This is fun."
Game notes
Wittman said injured G Rashad McCants is getting "pretty close" to coming back from microfracture knee surgery. Wittman wants to see McCants in a few more practices before he puts the second-year player in a game. ... Only seven of Phoenix's 25 assists were not made by Nash.
The Suns had been on fire for the entire month of January. Unfortunately for them, Kevin Garnett was holding the extinguisher when the Suns came into the Target Center on Monday night.

Garnett posted a double-double, scoring 44 points and snaring 11 rebounds, as the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Phoenix Suns 121-112. The loss prevented the Suns from posting a perfect record in the month of January, and ended the Suns' season-high 17-game winning streak.

The Suns had problems answering Garnett's scoring prowess, but it was the Minnesota defense that doomed the Suns, limiting them to 17 points in the final quarter after allowing 95 from Phoenix in the first three periods. Steve Nash had 20 points and 18 assists, but in the fourth quarter he was only able to score 3 points and provide one assist.

In the fourth quarter, it was simply the Kevin Garnett show.

Garnett scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, with 13 of those points coming in the final 6:20 of the period. "It's just about being a presence," Garnett said. "It's about making them have to deal with me. I will continue to take that approach." In addition to his 44-point night, Garnett helped his team by not turning the ball over at all during the game.

Such a performance was not the case for Steve Nash, who turned the ball over an uncharacteristic five times during the game. The Suns had 14 turnovers as a team. It was a case of Garnett and the Timberwolves taking full advantage of the mistakes the Suns made and turning it into an opportunity to win.

However, the loss certainly didn't leave the Suns or their coach, Mike D'Antoni, discouraged.

"We'll start another streak. This is fun."