K.G.'s message is consistent: Let's make it happen -- now

MIAMI -- All Kevin Garnett wants to do is win. That's it. It consumes him. The Big Ticket seems to take every loss like a death in the family.

After the Minnesota Timberwolves lost to the Miami Heat on March 9, Garnett walked through a quiet locker room. He got dressed and sat down in front of several reporters. His head was down. He stared at the floor. He dropped several expletives.

Kevin Garnett's Timberwolves haven't been to the playoffs since 2004. (Getty Images)

His frustration was evident, and for good reason. Minnesota hasn't been to the playoffs since 2004, when the Timberwolves lost the Western Conference finals to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Garnett wants nothing more than to get back to the playoffs and win, and surprisingly the Timberwolves are still in the hunt. At 28-36 after Friday's loss at Golden State, Minnesota is fighting for the final playoff spot in the West with the Clippers, Kings, Warriors, Nuggets and Hornets.

But Garnett knows his team has work to do. Minnesota has still lost nine of its past 12 games. The Timberwolves have begun a five-game road trip that could decide their season.

Garnett wants to know if his team has as much fight as he does.

"We're all searching," Garnett said. "We're trying to get some consistency and trying to get something going. It's not like we're gaining days here. We're running out of games to try and get back in this race if we're trying to make the playoffs. We really have to get some of these games.

"We're soul searching right now. And we're running out of time."

It's been a strange year for the Timberwolves. They were 20-20 when Dwane Casey was fired. Basketball boss Kevin McHale felt assistant coach Randy Wittman could turn things around, but that hasn't been the case.

Since Wittman took over, the Timberwolves are 8-16 and still dealing with the same problems -- inconsistent point guard play, defensive lapses, not enough help for Garnett. The only positive is the playoffs somehow remain in sight.

Wittman is hopeful things can turn around with 19 games to play.

"We're still right there," said Wittman, who had two separate tenures as an assistant coach in Minnesota before coming back this year. "We have hope. The guys have fought. They're still fighting. That shows me it's not that far away."

Wittman is trying to implement changes, putting the ball in the hands of Garnett and Ricky Davis instead of point guards Troy Hudson, Mike James and rookie Randy Foye, who have struggled. Defensively, even with stopper Trenton Hassell (ankle) banged up, Minnesota is working to play better team defense.