MINNEAPOLIS -- An unexpectedly strong performance in the middle gave the Minnesota Timberwolves a big lift Sunday night. Nike Air Max 90 Premium Femme . Kevin Love had his usual solid performance with 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to lead the Timberwolves to a 104-102 victory over the Sacramento Kings. But it was the other double-double that was unexpected. In his first career start, rookie Gorgui Dieng had his first career double-double with season highs in points (12) and rebounds (11) for Minnesota. He also had five blocks. "Were a man short right now and Gorgui, he just came in and did what we needed him to do and thats just rebound and alter shots at the basket," said Kevin Martin, who had 31 points Dieng, the 21st pick in last summers draft, made his first career start in place of Nikola Pekovic, who sat out with soreness in his right ankle. "I was prepared if I get minutes or not I was just going to keep working," Dieng said. "I think you should work more when you dont play a lot. I didnt get minutes. I never got frustrated. Just keep working and I know my time will come one day." A former Timberwolves player saw Diengs potential firsthand. "I told him since the first day he got here that its your job to block shots. You got drafted to rebound and block shots. His post games getting better as well. If he sticks with that hes going to be a good player in this league," said Derrick Williams, who scored 26 points and had 11 rebounds off the bench for Sacramento. Williams knows about being a young player in Minnesota. The second-overall pick in the 2011 Draft, Williams had two disappointing seasons with the Timberwolves before being traded to Sacramento on Nov. 26 for Luc Mbah a Moute, who has been a non-factor for Minnesota. "I think anybody who gets traded wants to play good against the team that traded them," he said. "I just wanted to be aggressive because (DeMarcus) Cousins was out and I was the next man up. Coach wants me to be aggressive and thats what I did tonight." Cousins, the Kings starting centre, missed the game with right knee tendinitis. He was replaced by Aaron Gray, who hadnt seen action since Feb. 25. Gray finished with four points in 20 minutes. "Its a testament to Aarons work ethic and his positive attitude for him to be ready to play tonight after not playing in so many games," coach Michael Malone said. "It was good to see him out there." Love hit 3 of 6 3-pointers, including one with 1:07 to play to give Minnesota a 97-95 lead and the Timberwolves hung on to win for the 33rd time, their most wins since 2005-06. Sacramentos Isaiah Thomas had 27 points, including two 3-pointers in the final 15 seconds to keep it close. Thomas scored from beyond the arc with 13.2 seconds left to get the Kings within two. After Martin made two free throws to make it 102-98 with 12.1 seconds left, Thomas answered with another 3-pointer before Martin made two more free throws with 5.7 seconds left. It was the second straight night the Kings couldnt close out a game, leaving them with a 2-5 record on a season-long seven-game road trip. They were outscored by six points in the fourth quarter and lost 94-87 in Chicago Saturday. "We were in there; we had a chance to win, but we just couldnt capitalize," Thomas said. Down 29-19 late in the first quarter, Williams provided a spark by scoring 10 straight points off the bench to get the Kings within three by quarters end. Williams had six more in the second quarter as the Kings took a 54-53 halftime lead. NOTES: Sacramento has officially been eliminated from playoff contention. ... Listed as day to day, Pekovic missed 13 games earlier this season -- including all of February -- with bursitis in his right ankle. ... Minnesota entered the game averaging a league-low 3.5 blocks per game. ... Thomas reached 1,000 career assists with a first-quarter helper, becoming the eighth player in Sacramento history to have that many in his first three seasons with the Kings. ... Martin made his 1,000th career 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. ... Twelve of Sacramentos final 15 games are in the Pacific time zone. Nike Air Max 90 Essential Femme . Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano, Detroit third baseman Miguel Cabrera and Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer each were selected for the fifth time. Nike Air Max 90 Femme Pas Cher . Gregor Blanco doubled, singled and drove in three runs, and the surging San Francisco Giants beat the New York Mets 6-4 on Sunday for their fifth straight win. "Theres nothing I can complain about," manager Bruce Bochy said. The Giants completed their fourth sweep of the season.CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Panthers Pro Bowl defensive end Greg Hardy was found guilty Tuesday night of assaulting a female and communicating threats. Mecklenburg County Judge Rebecca Thorn-Tin sentenced Hardy to 18 months probation. A 60-day jail sentence was suspended. Hardys attorney Chris Fialko said hell appeal and Hardy has asked for a jury trial in superior court. In North Carolina that means the terms of Hardys probation are on hold until the trial -- so hes free to travel with the team to training camp and compete in games. A date for the jury trial hasnt been set. The Panthers released a statement Tuesday night saying, "We have just learned of the verdict and are respectful of the process. We do not have a comment at this time." Hardy and his agent Drew Rosenhaus refused to comment as they left the courtroom together. The judge didnt buy Hardys testimony that he was the one abused by the accuser and that he had asked her to leave his downtown apartment during a domestic dispute on May 13. After nearly 11 hours of hearing testimony, Thorn-Tin told a sombre Hardy that "the court is entirely convinced Hardy is guilty of assault on a female and communicating threats." Earlier in the morning the accuser testified that she was assaulted by Hardy at his apartment after a night of drinking. She also said Hardy threatened to kill her and put his hands around her neck. "He looked me in my eyes and he told me he was going to kill me," said the accuser, a 24-year-old cocktail waitress in downtown Charlotte. "I was so scared I wanted to die. When he loosened his grip slightly, I said just, Do it. Kill me." The accuser said she had used cocaine on the night of the incident and had been drinking. She described Hardy as jealous and controlling, mentioning several times that Hardy didnt allow her do some things because he often paid her rent. She said she didnt immediately give police a statement out of fear of retribution. "He had told me in past if I took food out of his familys mouth he was going to kill me," the accuser said. Nike Air Max 90 Hyperfuse Pas Cher. Hardy and his business manager Sammy Curtis both testified that Hardy never hit nor threw the accuser, and didnt communicate threats. Hardy said the accuser became angry when he wouldnt have sex with her and left the room to sleep in the living room. He said the accuser then became angry and began slamming doors. Hardy said the accuser then asked him, "Do you want to see crazy? Ill show you crazy." Hardy said she threw herself into the bathtub, causing the bruises she had on her body. Hardy said she also threatened to kill herself if she left his building. However, Thorn-Tin seemed more inclined to believe the testimony of the accuser and the prosecutions top witness, Christina Lawrence, another woman who was in Hardys apartment at the time of the incident. Lawrence said she was sleeping in the other room with a friend of Hardys when she heard scuffling and fighting and what sounded like a woman being slammed into the wall and dragged across the floor. She said she also heard the accuser say, "What are you going to do, break my arm?" Hardy and his accuser began dating last September, but had broken up at the Pro Bowl in February. Hardy said they had had sexual relations "five or six times" since. Hardys play on the field has been dynamic. Hes been a key member of Carolinas second-ranked defence, finishing last season with 15 sacks. The Panthers led the league last season with 50 sacks. In four seasons with the Panthers, Hardy has 33 sacks, 26 in the last two seasons. He signed a $13.1 million, one-year contract in March as the teams franchise player. Its unclear at this point how the verdict will affect Hardys long-term future with the Panthers. The team is particularly sensitive to domestic violence issues, particularly in light of their history with wide receiver Rae Carruth. Carruth was found guilty of conspiring to murder his girlfriend, Cherica Adams, who was carrying his child. He was sentenced to 18 to 24 years in prison and remains in jail. wholesale nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '
