MINNEAPOLIS — Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson taught the young Minnesota Timberwolves a couple of lessons about life in the NBA in their first game without Kevin Garnett.
The first? Reputation goes a long way in this league.
The second? The fourth quarter is the only one that matters.
Minnesota outplayed Denver for most of the game Friday night, but couldn’t come up with the big shots down the stretch as the Nuggets earned a 99-91 victory.
“We kept our composure,” said Anthony, who scored 33 points. “We never got rattled, even though they were up by (13).”
Playing their first game in 13 years without Garnett, the Timberwolves raced to an early lead, but Anthony, Iverson and the Nuggets rode an overwhelming advantage at the free-throw line to the win.
Iverson shot just 4-for-14 from the field, but still managed 24 points thanks to his 15-for-16 performance at the line.
Marcus Camby added 14 points, 21 rebounds and six blocked shots for Denver.
The officials whistled the Timberwolves for 28 fouls and Denver for 17, and the Nuggets attempted 38 free throws to Minnesota’s 19.
“This team is going to have to earn the respect of the officials,” Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman said. “We went to the basket just as hard as they did.”
Rashad McCants scored 23 points and Al Jefferson had 16 points and 13 rebounds for the new-look Timberwolves, who lost their first home opener since 1994, the year before Garnett arrived.
Minnesota traded Garnett to Boston at the end of July for Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff, Gerald Green and two first-round draft picks.
“It’s different,” Iverson said. “I know it’s different when a guy gets traded. I hear guys tell me it feels different when they go to Philly and I’m not there. But that’s the business.”
Anthony scored 11 points in the fourth quarter and the Wolves shot just 2-for-16 in the first 10 minutes of the period to let the game slip away.
