Al Jefferson scored a season-high 27 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves got a favorable videotape review in the final minute to defeat the New Jersey Nets 103-99 on Wednesday night in the battle of the NBA's two worst teams.
Jonny Flynn added 22 points and Kevin Love had 13 points and 16 rebounds as Minnesota (6-24) swept the two-game season series and sent New Jersey (2-27) to its eighth straight loss.
The key moment for Minnesota came with 25.6 seconds to play when the officials reversed a ruling that said the ball went out of bounds off the leg of Wolves swingman Corey Brewer.
Brewer, who added 17 points, was fouled on the ensuing inbound play and hit two free throws to give Minnesota a 101-97 lead.
Devin Harris led New Jersey with 23 points. Yi Jianlian returned to the lineup after missing seven weeks with a sprained knee and had 22, while Courtney Lee had 20.
The Timberwolves appeared to take command early in the fourth quarter, when they hit 8 of their first 11 shots in a 16-8 spurt that gave them a 92-82 lead.
Just as quickly, the Wolves missed their next seven shots and New Jersey ran off eight straight points to draw within 92-90 on a 3-pointer by Yi with 3:17 to play.
Jefferson, who had gone to the bench with his fifth foul during the Nets' run, came back in and hit a shot in the lane for a 94-90 lead with 2:46 to go.
A 3-pointer by Keyon Dooling got the Nets within a point and they had a chance to take the lead after a Jefferson miss led to a Nets' fastbreak.
Flynn, however, stole a pass from Harris on a 4-on-2. Flynn was fouled by Harris on the break the other way and made one free throw for a 95-93 lead. Jefferson followed with another basket with 1:28 to play after Dooling walked.
Lee got the Nets within a point with a 3-pointer with 1:03 to play, but Brewer hit a floater to push the lead to 99-96 with 39 seconds to play.
A free throw by Brook Lopez closed the gap to two points with 28.3 seconds to go, but Minnesota got the favorable replay after the officials originally ruled the ball out off Brewer's leg.
The replay clearly showed it went out off Lee's leg.
After Brewer made his free throws and Harris hit a layup, Damien Wilkins converted two free throws with 17.4 seconds to play and the Nets wasted the final 16 seconds, getting a shot by Yi near the buzzer.
Flynn had an outstanding first half, scoring 17 points and helping the Timberwolves build a 50-39 lead late in the second quarter.
However, Dooling hit a 3-pointer and scored another basket on a goaltending call in a 9-2 spurt that got the Nets within 52-48 at intermission.
NOTES: Minnesota F Ryan Gomes missed his sixth straight game with a sprained left ankle. ... Nets backup point guard Rafer Alston was out with a sore back. ... Lopez was scoreless in the first half for the first time this season. He finished with nine points, 10 rebounds and a season-high seven assists. ... New Jersey was 9 of 17 from 3-point range. ... Minnesota rallied from a 19-point second-half deficit in beating New Jersey in the season opener.
