Finally, in the 88th game of a season in which he nightly proved himself MVP worthy, Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett once again found an entire franchise's burden too heavy for one superstar to bear.

For the seventh time in seven years, Garnett and the Wolves lost a first-round playoff series. This time, they added a six-game defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers to a list of conquerors that also includes Dallas, Portland, Seattle, Houston and San Antonio (twice).

Hours earlier, Garnett called the evening's do-or-depart situation a "game of desperation."

He was correct, but not in the way he had meant.