Utah Jazz: Flynn flies to game winner for T-Wolves

SALT LAKE CITY — Jonny Flynn is only a rookie, but he wanted the ball in his hands with the game tied in the final seconds and his pesky Minnesota Timberwolves trying to score an upset over the Utah Jazz on Monday night at EnergySolutions Arena.

Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis agreed that his precocious point guard should be the team leader with the game on the line.

Flynn made Rambis' confidence in him pay off by driving around Jazz star point guard Deron Williams for the game-winning layup with three seconds left in the Timberwolves' 110-108 victory.

"I want the ball in those situations," said Flynn, who finished with 28 points, eight more than his previous career high. "I grew up always being the guy taking the last shots, and I'm glad that I can continue that on this team."

Rambis, the first-year Minnesota coach, knows Flynn has much to learn and improve in his game, but he likes his 20-year-old point guard's potential.

"(Flynn) is going be exceptional, but it will take time," said Rambis. "He will continue to grow and develop, but at some point in time, it's my opinion that he's going to be one of the elite guards in this league."

Utah's Williams is already one of the elite guards in the league and he showed the Minnesota rookie a trick or two himself. D-Will finished with a game-high 38 points along with 13 assists. He certainly has earned Flynn's respect.

"Man, he's the toughest point guard I've played," said Flynn of Williams. "I've played C.P. (Chris Paul). I've played (Steve) Nash and Baron Davis. (Williams) is the total package. He's strong, and he can shoot the ball, and he comes off screens like a two guard and posts up like (Minnesota center) Al Jefferson."

Williams, having already lost to Flynn's Timberwolves twice this season, has respect for the rookie, too, saying, "He's fast. He's a good player."

Minnesota, despite the two wins over Utah, is a work in progress.

The Timberwolves are just 4-21 on the year and Rambis knows he has to be patient with his entire team as well as with his rookie point guard out of Syracuse University.

"This entire season and one or two after are going to be growing periods for him," Rambis said. "So I want to give him those opportunities to se what he can do in those late-game situations, and he delivered for us tonight."

With victories so rare this season, the Timberwolves celebrated afterward with the 6-10 Jefferson lifting the 6-foot Flynn into the air.

"When they made their runs, we didn't get down, and we kept going at them," said Flynn. "We weathered the storm and came out with a good win."

e-mail: lojo@desnews.com