The fans began Monday night by giving Wally Szczerbiak a standing ovation.

By halftime at Target Center, they were on their feet applauding the new-look Timberwolves.

Szczerbiak scored a game-high 22 points in his return after being traded Thursday to the Boston Celtics. But the Wolves dominated as their new acquisitions pushed them to a 19-point halftime lead en route to a 110-85 victory, the team's most lopsided win this season.

Marcus Banks showed in his Wolves debut that he is the quickest point guard the franchise has had in years. Banks, generously listed at 6 feet 2, darted and squirted his way to 20 points and six assists, season bests in both categories.

At least on this night, it was hard to tell why he lost his backup point-guard role with the Celtics before he was traded to Minnesota.

"I think the fans, when I got traded, they were like, 'Who is this guy?' " Banks said. "But I'm pretty sure the coaching staff knew what they were getting."

The Timberwolves' first half of the season fell well short of their goals.

The most striking admission of that mediocrity came when they traded Wally Szczerbiak, a longtime fan favorite who was having a career season, to the Boston Celtics on Thursday.

As they prepare to face Szczerbiak and the Celtics tonight at Target Center, the Wolves are desperate to fix their season, plagued by inconsistency and the inability to win close games. With the team struggling at 19-21 at the time of the trade, Szczerbiak became the casualty.

"If we had won a number of those close games, we probably wouldn't have thought about doing the trade," owner Glen Taylor said. "Looking at the results, which were below our expectations, we felt we had to do something. Wally was a player other teams wanted."

Ron Artest made nice with his new team. He managed to avoid any conflict with the Boston fans.

For a debut, the Sacramento Kings are going to have to consider it a success.

The former Indiana troublemaker scored 15 points in his first game since his antics got him benched in mid-December, but he and the Kings faltered in the fourth quarter on Friday night as the Celtics beat Sacramento 84-74.

"He was well-rested because he's been off for a month now," Celtics center Kendrick Perkins said. "So he got off to a great start but we knew he wasn't in NBA shape so he wore down in the end."

The Celtics had a big debut of their own: Wally Szczerbiak scored 10 points in 24 minutes in his first game since being acquired from Minnesota in a seven-player deal. Szczerbiak arrived at the arena just before the game and wasn't expected to play; he had the wrong color shoes and only put on a uniform, basketball boss Danny Ainge said, because he didn't have a suit that would meet the NBA's dress code.

He finished 4-for-7 from the field, including 2-for-3 from 3-point range, and added three rebounds and a pair of assists.

"He hit some big shots. Helped them win," Artest said. "I can imagine what he was going through. It must have been more intense for him, because it happened so suddenly."

Timberwolves all-star Kevin Garnett clarified a few things about his relationship with Wally Szczerbiak in the wake of Thursday night's blockbuster deal that sent Szczerbiak to the Boston Celtics.

Garnett said he and Szczerbiak weren't best friends, but they weren't enemies.

The day after the struggling Wolves traded Szczerbiak for Ricky Davis as part of a seven-player deal, Garnett said he hated to see Szczerbiak go, despite a long-held perception that the two have stood in opposite corners for most of their 6? seasons together in Minnesota.

"We're two totally different people from two totally different parts of the earth," Garnett said Friday before Minnesota's game at Houston against the Rockets. "I think people are wanting it to be more than what it really was. It wasn't like we hated each other. We spoke every day, said what's up, had conversations, cracked jokes, just like any other teammate in here. Basketball-wise, came in, did what we had to do to get a win. Sometimes we didn't get it. We're both competitive."

The perceived rift between the players has been scrutinized since Garnett and Szczerbiak had a scuffle in the team's training room in November 2000.

But they coexisted amicably over the years. Garnett invited Szczerbiak to the U.S. Open tennis championship last summer in New York.

"I've never had (a) beef with World," Garnett said. "Personally, we were teammates. We understood that. I understood that. As the primary (option) on this team, I felt it was my responsibility to have the ball come through me, and I consolidated and distributed to everybody. I don't know if World was bothered by that."

Szczerbiak told the Associated Press that he did not believe the perceived problems between himself and Garnett prompted the trade.

"Who knows?" Szczerbiak said. "K.G. and I have been teammates for seven years. I've learned a lot from him. ? Now we're moving on and breaking apart."

The Celtics have reached agreement tonight on a trade that sends Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, Marcus Banks, Justin Reed and two future second-round draft picks to Minnesota for Wally Szczerbiak, Michael Olowokandi and rookie Dwayne Jones and a conditional first-round pick.

The deal constitutes a dramatic change for the Celts, who have struggled to a 17-25 record. Davis had been leading the team in minutes played (fourth in the league at 41.6) and was the team?s second leading scorer at 19.7 behind Paul Pierce.

Szczerbiak is the key pickup for the Celts. He?s averaging 20.1 points and is a 41 percent shooter from behind the 3-point line.

There is still nothing of substance to report on the Celtics? trade front, though sources last night did indicate the club might be looking at streaky Seattle scorer Ronald ?Flip? Murray, who?s in the final year of his contract.

It was hard, however, to overlook the fact that Mark Blount was the only player on either team not to get into the game. It was his second DNP in the last three.

Last week, Blount?s name popped up in several trade rumors, the most notable being a deal that would ship him to the Minnesota Timberwolves for fellow big man Michael Olowokandi.

Marcus Banks has finally found a place for himself with the Celtics.

That it happens to be a seat at the end of the bench does not exactly make him happy. But an older, wiser Banks will not come out and say it. He talks instead about helping the team, though he logged just 8 minutes in Wednesday night's win over Minnesota and did not play because of a coach's decision in the win over New Jersey Friday night. It was his second DNP-CD this season. The first came last Monday at Detroit.

He added just 8 minutes in last night's 103-83 blowout loss, getting 1 point and 1 assist.

Banks also has heard his name once again tossed about in trade talk. The Celtics actually moved Banks to the Lakers in the Gary Payton trade after the 2003-04 season, but when the deal was reworked, Banks came back to Boston.

''Right now, I believe that everybody in the organization knows what I can do," said Banks. ''Basically, it's just about getting back out there and having fun. [The trade talk] doesn't bother me at all. Not at all.

''I really wasn't bothered with [the Lakers deal]. If it happens, fine. If it doesn't, fine. I'm a professional about my job and I'm ready to take on whatever obstacles are in front of me."

Despite both Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers' recent assertions that there's nothing on the table as far as a Mark Blount trade goes, a source with the team said yesterday that the Celtics are "trying desperately" to get rid of the 7-foot veteran.

Boston wants to get out from under the six-year, $41-million contract it signed Blount to before last season, and the word is that ownership doesn't care much for the the 30-year old center.

After a potential deal with Memphis for Brian Cardinal didn't go through, Ainge and former teammate Kevin McHale, the Minnesota general manager, are trying to swap disappointing big men -- Ainge unloading Blount, his paltry 4.4 assists and NBA-leading 5.25 turnovers per 48 minutes to the Timberwolves for former overall No. 1 draft pick Michael Olowokandi.

Olowokandi is averaging 5.7 rebounds off the bench for Minnesota this season. And while he is overpaid too -- Olowokandi's deal pays him over $5.5 million per season -- he is in the last year of that contract, making the potential deal nothing more than a salary dump for the Celtics.

Though Blount is averaging a career-high 12.8 points per game this year, he has complained about the number of touches he has gotten on the offensive end, while Rivers has complained about Blount's lack of defensive intensity and rebounding. He played just six minutes in the win over Minnesota Wednesday, scoring 2 points and grabbing 1 rebound. Olowokandi had 5 points and 9 boards.

According to one source with the Celtics, the deal with Minnesota is close to being done.

With all the trade talk, Mark Blount?s agent was preaching caution on Tuesday.

"I think there?s been a lot of talk,? Mark Bartelstein said. ?A lot of teams have contacted the Celtics. But whether or not something?s going to happen is a big step from where we are now.?

Marcus Banks is also involved at this point. If something were to happen with Cleveland, he would accompany Blount. Sources say Drew Gooden and Damon Jones have been discussed as a return.

The Minnesota and Memphis deals would most likely be straight up for Olowokandi or Lorenzen Wright, respectively. Earl Watson would be the target if something gets worked out with Denver.

According to two league sources, a deal that would send Mark Blount to Minnesota or Memphis could be completed soon. One source described a deal as ''imminent." The most likely scenario would have the Celtics shipping Blount to Minnesota for 7-foot, 270-pound center Michael Olowokandi. The Celtics play the Timberwolves tomorrow night at the TD Banknorth Garden.

It is less clear whom the Celtics would receive from the Grizzlies for Blount, if they went that route. Lorenzen Wright, a 6-11 center, might be one possibility because he is in the last year of his contract. Although the salary numbers work, one source said 6-8 Memphis forward Brian Cardinal is not a candidate.

The Celtics reportedly tried to deal Blount to Memphis last offseason. Memphis was one of the teams that aggressively pursued Blount when he was a free agent.

After an extremely disappointing 2004-05 season, Blount and his agent Mark Bartelstein talked with coach Doc Rivers and executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge last summer. Blount arrived at training camp determined to reclaim the form he showed when playing for his current six-year, $40 million contract -- a contract with a 15 percent trade kicker.