’Cats beat T-Wolves

Published 8:46 am Monday, January 28, 2013

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Bobcats’ long home losing streak is over.

Gerald Henderson made a 3-pointer with 4.6 seconds left to lift the Bobcats to a 102-101 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night, snapping a 16-game home losing streak.

The Bobcats streak was stopped two short of the NBA record held by the 1993-94 Dallas Mavericks.

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Kemba Walker led Charlotte with 25 points and Ramon Sessions finished with 23 as the Bobcats won at home for the first time since Nov. 21.

Henderson finished with 15 points and Bismack Biyombo had 10 points and 13 rebounds for Charlotte.

Luke Ridnour had 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to lead Minnesota, which has lost nine of 10.

Trailing by two, the Bobcats were struggling to get a shot off before the 24-second shot clock expired. A scramble ensued as the ball was knocked into the backcourt late in the possession.

Walker retrieved the ball and passed it ahead to Henderson on the left wing. He pump-faked to avoid a leaping Andrei Kirilenko and swished the 3-pointer.

J.J. Barea had a chance to win the game, but never could get a shot off as time expired.

After the game, acting Timberwolves coach Terry Porter and Berea argued the call with officials at midcourt, saying Berea was fouled by Walker as he attempted the shot.

Despite being short-handed, the Timberwolves jumped out to a 29-11 lead less than nine minutes into the game.

Ridnour hit a pair of 3-pointers and Greg Stiemsma gave the Bobcats fits inside, three times getting free for uncontested alley-oop dunks.

Stiemsma had 10 points and six rebounds in the first eight minutes but struggled to produce after that, finishing with just 11 points and seven rebounds.

Looking to generate something offensively, Charlotte coach Mike Dunlap went with a small lineup that included Henderson as the team’s power forward late in the first half.

The Bobcats managed to cut the lead to 11 at the break and then to four at the end of the third quarter.

Charlotte opened the fourth quarter with a flurry, going on an 18-6 run as Walker and Sessions began to take charge. Walker had 16 points in the second half.

The Bobcats tied the game at 79 after a Minnesota turnover and a Walker steal led to a pair of fastbreak layups for Sessions. Walker gave the Bobcats their first lead of the game on a pull-up jumper from 18 feet with just over 10 minutes to play.

Charlotte increased its lead to eight, but the Timberwolves battled back to tie the game behind back-to-back 3-pointers from Ridnour and Berea.

Ricky Rubio’s reverse layup gave the Timberwolves the lead before Henderson’s big 3.

Barea had 19 points and Rubio finished with 14 points and eight assists.