"Wolves coach Flip Saunders said Troy Hudson is at least two weeks away from returning to the lineup after a magnetic resonance imaging exam revealed scar tissue in Hudson's right ankle."

NBA senior vice president Stu Jackson has fined Minnesota guard Latrell Sprewell $25,000 "for cursing at New York Knicks chairman James Dolan and screaming at the team's bench during the Timberwolves' 98-92 win Tuesday night."

NEW YORK (AP) Minnesota's Latrell Sprewell was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Wednesday for cursing at New York Knicks chairman James Dolan and screaming at the team's bench during the Timberwolves' 98-92 win Tuesday night.

The penalty was issued by NBA senior vice president Stu Jackson.

Sprewell, who was traded to Minnesota and scored 31 points in his return to New York, turned to Dolan and unleashed a stream of curses after his 3-pointer gave Minnesota a 94-89 lead with 1:14 left.

Referee Dan Crawford came over and warned Sprewell to stop during the ensuing timeout, but Sprewell kept it up anyway and directed his next rant at the Knicks' bench. The tirade earned him a technical foul.

Sprewell began screaming at Dolan during the first quarter, the first expletive-filled harangue making Dolan blush. Sprewell turned and shouted at Dolan several more times during the course of the game. Dolan eventually smiled at the taunts.

``All the little games he's been playing this year, I let him do the talking earlier. I'm just glad I could do the talking now,'' Sprewell said after the game.

Tuesday night marked Timberwolves' guard Latrell Sprewell's return to Madison Square Garden and he can expect to hear from the league office in the next few days.

Last night, Sprewell Garden chairman James Dolan was cursed at by Sprewell numerous times and taunted throughout the game.

"The worst of it came with 1:14 remaining after Sprewell hit a three-pointer that made it 94-89. As the Knicks called for a timeout, Sprewell ran toward Dolan and shouted several expletives unsuitable for younger audiences. Dolan responded by sticking out his tongue."

"All I can tell you is that he doesn't belong in our stadium," an irate Dolan said.

"The stuff I was doing it's just the way I play," said Sprewell, who scored 31 points. "You guys have seen it here when I was here."

League officials have vowed to launch an investigation into Sprewell's behavior.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Troy Hudson is expected to play tonight for the first in eight weeks against the Indiana Pacers.

"Once I'm out there, I'm going to go 100 percent," Hudson said after a light practice Friday. "We're gelling as a team. They're playing great. I want to come in and play the brand of ball they've been playing."

Hudson is expected to get 10-20 minutes tonight.

"He'll be very limited," (head coach Flip) Saunders said. "Initially, it will be using games as practice situations to get him into a rhythm."

The Minnesota Timberwolves have a new rehab plan for swingman Wally Szczerbiak.

Szczerbiak, who has not played in a game this season due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot, will immobilize his foot in a cast.

"He'll be in the cast four weeks," Wolves coach Flip Saunders said. "Then at least two weeks from a rehab standpoint. Hopefully, at that time, he'll be able to step on the floor and see where it's at."

While the idea of missing even more time doesn't thrill Szczerbiak, he hopes this treatment works out for him.

"I've been dealing with this thing now for 10 weeks," he said. "To get a full cast like this, like I have a broken foot? It's hard. . . . I just hope this does the trick."

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Sam Cassell scored 25 points and Kevin Garnett had 19 points and 13 rebounds. Latrell Sprewell added 14 points for the Timberwolves, who've won three straight and improved to 6-1 in December.

Steve Francis led Houston with 16 points.

Minnesota used a 16-4 run to take a 75-49 lead with 1:28 to go in the third quarter. Garnett blocked Jim Jackson's jumper on Houston's next possession before going to the bench to a standing ovation.

Cassell, who had six assists, went 11-for-15 from the floor in leading the Timberwolves in scoring for the third straight game.

Bulls 102, Magic 88

CHICAGO (AP) Kendall Gill scored 27 of his season-high 29 points in the second half when he made 12 of 13 shots.

Gill was just 1-of-4 with two points at the half but was nearly perfect thereafter, also contributing tough defense on Tracy McGrady. Chicago rookie Kirk Hinrich added a career-high 21 points before fouling out with 4:25 to play.

The Bulls have won two in a row for the first time this season.

McGrady scored 26 points, only eight in the second half and none in the final quarter.

Grizzlies 105, Kings 100

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Pau Gasol scored 22 points and Shane Battier keyed a fourth-quarter rally with 11 points.

Six Memphis players scored in double figures as the Grizzlies snapped Sacramento's four-game winning streak and beat the Kings for the first time since November, 2001, a string of eight games.

The teams were tied at 83 with just under eight minutes left before Memphis went on a 7-1 run for a 90-84 lead with 5:15 remaining. Sacramento got within 94-93 on a drive by Brad Miller with 3:15 remaining, but never any closer.

Peja Stojakovic led Sacramento with 27 points, while Brad Miller finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds.

MORE

DALLAS (AP) Injured Dallas Mavericks players Michael Finley and Shawn Bradley will miss the team's next two games against Boston and Minnesota.

Finley is out with a sprained right toe. Bradley has back spasms.

The Mavericks will return to Dallas following their back-to-back set in Boston on Wednesday and Minnesota the following night. They play at home against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.

NORTH MANKATO, Minn. (AP) Albert Ernest Fallenstein, a minority owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves and executive vice president of Taylor Corporation, and his wife were killed in an accident on an icy highway Tuesday, police said.

State Patrol spokesman Kevin Smith said Fallenstein, 63, was driving his van near his hometown of North Mankato when it collided with a tractor-trailer. His wife, Erla Mae, 63, was ejected from the van.

Both were declared dead at the scene; the truck driver was not injured.

The cause of the crash was under investigation, but Smith said the Fallensteins' van was westbound just after 4 p.m. when it somehow ended up in the eastbound lane, where it was struck broadside by the truck.

Smith said it was not known if the Fallensteins were wearing seat belts.

``We lost two lifelong friends today,'' Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, the chairman of Taylor Corporation, said in a statement. ``Al was a friend, a business partner, a minority owner and a great fan of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Al and Erla were a significant part of our Timberwolves family.

``Our Timberwolves and Taylor Corporation family are grieving right now. Al and Erla will be missed by everyone,'' Taylor said.

Troy Hudson has missed almost two months of the NBA season with a sprained right ankle but he is getting close to returning to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Hudson, who has been out since October 23 with the ankle sprain, hopes to play again in two or three days.

"They want me to be confident," Hudson said, referring to the Wolves. "I'm thinking about two or three days from being able to play. We'll see how it feels during the workouts. I've got several days of practices and workouts in there."