He has missed, in three separate stints, a total of 45 games because of a badly sprained right ankle. His stats are down across the board from what was, a year ago, his breakthrough season. After turning his left ankle on consecutive plays in the 94-88 victory over Houston on Monday, Timberwolves guard Troy Hudson couldn't even limp properly, and he likely won't heal completely until sometime in July.

Still, that probably won't dissuade him from testing free agency this summer.

Hudson holds the option on a $2.8 million contract for next season but his agent, Bill Neff, said Monday that Hudson almost certainly will not exercise it. That would make him an unrestricted free agent, able to re-sign with the Wolves or any of the NBA's other 29 teams (Charlotte will be up and running by then).

"That doesn't mean you leave," Neff said. "That means you think you can do better than a one-year, [$2.8] million contract."

Given that one of Neff's clients, journeyman guard Kevin Ollie, signed a five-year, $15 million deal with Cleveland last summer, and that teams routinely guarantee more than Hudson's salary to untested rookies, the agent believed Hudson's value -- even after this injury-marred season -- would be high. It won't hurt, either, that the upcoming crop of available point guards will fade quickly after Steve Nash (who has a similar option with Dallas) and maybe Rafer Alston.

"Does that mean he leaves Minnesota? Absolutely not," Neff said. "When we did this contract, Rob Babcock and Kevin McHale felt he would be opting out. I think Kevin's words were, 'If you are not opting out, we're all going to be disappointed.' They expected it."

To say that Minnesota were disappointed with their defensive efforts against the San Antonio Spurs would be an understatement, and today the Wolves have the opportunity to prove things have changed in the past few days.

The Wolves appear to have found the same page in coach Flip Saunders' playbook. Part of it could be credited to Saunders having tightened up the rotation, in some ways through necessity because of Troy Hudson's bad ankle. And Wally Szczerbiak has started finding both his range and his confidence.

"We've got a little bit of our swagger back," Saunders said after Monday's practice.

"The last two games our defense has been very, very good," Saunders said. "That's been a positive. We've had a lot of help . . . we've protected in the paint."

That was not the case in San Antonio.

The Spurs outscored the Wolves 48-26 in the paint. The Spurs shot 48.1 percent from the field. Perhaps the best statistic showing the Wolves' lack of defensive intensity is that they managed zero steals.

But in the two games since, the Wolves forced both Phoenix (38.1 percent) and Denver (30.9) to shoot poorly.

"We didn't play that well against San Antonio defensively," Wolves forward Kevin Garnett said. "We had a meeting about it. Really, we got down to the logistics of it. I think in Phoenix we did a better job, and it carried over [against Denver]. We have to continue to do the things we've been doing of late. . . . What you're starting to see -- knock on wood -- we're starting to find our stroke a little bit. Defensively, we're on the same page consistently. We have nice momentum now. It's important to keep carrying it on."

SAN ANTONIO (AP) Kevin Garnett has not decided whether he will join the U.S. Olympic basketball team for this summer's games in Athens.

Two sources close to the USA Basketball selection committee, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Garnett and Shaquille O'Neal have been invited to play for the U.S. Olympic team.

``I haven't given it any thought, to tell you the truth,'' Garnett said Thursday night after his Minnesota Timberwolves lost to the San Antonio Spurs 106-86.

Asked when he will decide, Garnett said, ``I have no timeline. I'm focused on the season and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Right now, my focus is the Phoenix Suns.''

Minnesota plays the Suns on Friday night in Phoenix.

Garnett played on the 2000 Olympic team that won the gold medal in Sydney, Australia.

O'Neal said this week he has been asked to join the team, but has not yet made a decision.

One more spot remains open on the 12-man roster, and a second could open if Kobe Bryant is unable to play because of his sexual assault trial in Colorado.

A third member of the Los Angeles Lakers, Karl Malone, has said he might withdraw from the team if his knee isn't 100 percent.

Selection committee chairman Stu Jackson acknowledged that two invitations had been issued, though he wouldn't specify who had been chosen.

Jackson also confirmed that Cleveland Cavaliers rookie LeBron James is among a group of seven or eight players being discussed by the committee for the final roster spot.

Nine roster spots have already been filled on the team that will be coached by Larry Brown. The players are Bryant, Malone, Jermaine O'Neal, Jason Kidd, Mike Bibby, Tracy McGrady, Allen Iverson, Ray Allen and Tim Duncan.

The team opens training camp July 26 and plays its first game of the Olympics on Aug. 15.

Undermanned and ridden with turmoil, the Philadelphia 76ers took out their frustrations on one of the NBA's elite teams.

Without injured stars Allen Iverson and Glenn Robinson, the 76ers received strong efforts from just about everyone else Sunday night in beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 81-74.

Rookie forward Kyle Korver made key plays down the stretch, and Eric Snow hit a jumper with 20 seconds left. Aaron McKie had 18 points to lead the Sixers, who snapped a four-game skid. Snow added 13 points, and Kenny Thomas had 11 points and 12 rebounds.

``It was a consistent effort,'' Snow said. ``We know they can score, so we had to challenge their shooters and still be able to help. Coach Ford and the coaching staff put a great plan together.''

But coach Chris Ford was disappointed in Iverson, who missed his fourth straight game with a bruised right shoulder. Iverson informed team doctors earlier in the day he was experiencing stomach problems and wouldn't attend the game. Iverson failed to contact Ford directly, though, something the coach has stressed from the start of his tenure.

``There are guidelines that we handed down,'' said Ford, who took over when Randy Ayers was fired Feb. 11. ``I'm very disappointed. In time, there will be something levied.''

Elsewhere, it was the Los Angeles Lakers 100, New Jersey 83; Detroit 100, the Los Angeles Clippers 88; Sacramento 108, Phoenix 94; Boston 91, Toronto 82; Denver 107, New York 96; Seattle 97, Houston 80; and Milwaukee 108, Miami 104.

Philadelphia won for just the second time since the All-Star break.

``We've been wanting any kind of win we can get,'' Korver said. ``This is a good one, yeah, but we'll take them any way we can get them right now.''

Kevin Garnett scored 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for Minnesota, which leads the Midwest Division, but has lost two of three.

``We didn't deserve to win that ballgame,'' said Sam Cassell, who scored 13 points. ``We didn't do anything we should have done from the first quarter to the fourth quarter.''

Lakers 100, Nets 83

At East Rutherford, N.J., the Lakers held New Jersey to 18 field goals and 51 points in the first three quarters.

Shaquille O'Neal had 19 points, 14 rebounds and a spectacular one-handed slam on a third-quarter fast-break pass from Kobe Bryant in helping the Lakers win for the ninth time in 11 games. Bryant, who averaged 32.6 points in his last five starts, had 11 points, 10 assists and six rebounds.

Nets guard Jason Kidd will undergo an MRI exam of his sore left knee Monday.

Pistons 100, Clippers 88

At Los Angeles, Chauncey Billups scored 28 points and Richard Hamilton had eight of his 21 points in the last seven minutes to help the Pistons win their fourth straight.

Ben Wallace contributed his 30th double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Coach Larry Brown was ejected.

Elton Brand had 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Clippers.

Kings 108, Suns 94

At Sacramento, Peja Stojakovic scored 32 points and the Kings never trailed.

Brad Miller, sidelined the previous seven games with a sprained right foot, had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Doug Christie didn't let a cut near his right eye bother his shooting: He scored a season-high 28 points and added eight rebounds and nine assists.

Amare Stoudemire fouled out late, but had 33 points and 17 rebounds for the Suns.

Celtics 91, Raptors 82

At Toronto, Paul Pierce scored 12 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, helping hand the Raptors their season-worst ninth straight loss.

Jiri Welsch added 15 points for the Celtics, who ended a seven-game losing streak with a victory over Toronto on Friday.

Milt Palacio had a season-high 19 points and eight assists for the Raptors, who are without injured Vince Carter, Jalen Rose and Alvin Williams.

Nuggets 107, Knicks 96

At Denver, Carmelo Anthony had 25 points and Voshon Lenard added 16 as the Nuggets ended a five-game losing streak. New York has dropped six in a row.

Anthony played only a minute into the fourth quarter for the Nuggets, who also ended a three-game losing streak to the Knicks.

Kurt Thomas led New York with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Bucks 108, Heat 104

At Milwaukee, Michael Redd scored 27 points and Desmond Mason added 21. The Bucks scored the most points the Heat have allowed this season.

Miami lost rookie Dwyane Wade with a sprained right foot, and Eddie Jones led the Heat with 25 points.

SuperSonics 97, Rockets 80

At Houston, Rashard Lewis scored 12 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, the Sonics beat the Rockets for the third time this season and also snapped Houston's five-game home winning streak.

Vladimir Radmanovic had 19 points and 11 rebounds in a reserve role for the Sonics, and Vitaly Potapenko added 17 points.