MINNEAPOLIS -- The Washington Bullets ended their six-game losing streak last night, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves, 99-96, because . . .
A) According to forward Chris Webber, they did the little things they had been lacking.
B) According to forward Juwan Howard, they had the big thing -- 7-foot-7 intimidator Gheorghe Muresan, who scored 10 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, blocked four shots and spooked several shooters.
C) Both of the above.
Pick C, even if it was a roller-coaster ride all the way. The Bullets led by as much as 20 points in the first quarter and trailed by as much as nine by the end of the third, but their 30-19 spurt in the fourth quarter made sure their effort wasn't squandered.
"We made more of a commitment to doing the little things you have to do to win," said Webber, who finished with 24 points and nine rebounds in his fifth game back after missing 19 games with a separated left shoulder. "Handling pressure, rebounding . . . the stuff that gets you a win instead of losing by one or two points."
Calbert Cheaney added a team-high 26 points, as the Bullets won for the first time since Jan. 28 and with fewer than 100 points for the second time in 20 games this season.
But sometimes the subtleties of victory are as big as a 7-7 center, and Muresan created problems at both ends of the court for the Wolves.
He was a key in the Bullets' fourth-quarter comeback, starting a nine-point run with a three-point play and ending it with a rebound basket, good for a 78-77 lead with 9:16 remaining.
"George is one big force inside," Howard said. "He's improved so much."
The Wolves hung close enough for a final shot at victory, but surprisingly it didn't come from guard Isaiah Rider (a game-high 34 points). With the Bullets leading 97-96, Wolves center Sean Rooks rolled through the lane. Howard slapped the ball to guard Scott Skiles, who eventually found Howard breaking clear for a dunk in the final seconds.
A total of 56 fouls were called, as both teams did their best to exploit the other's main weakness.
"That's what happens when you try to play aggressive defense," Bullets coach Jim Lynam said. "We're trying to get it into the post, and J. R.'s dropping his head and driving."
With the Bullets and Wolves each carrying records (11 victories apiece entering the game) only the Los Angeles Clippers could envy, the matchup seemed like one in which both teams could find a way to lose. Both did, but the Bullets started the game hardly resembling their recent struggling selves.
The Bullets' front line of Webber, Howard and Muresan blocked five shots in the first six minutes, shutting down the Wolves' limited inside game, and took an 18-3 lead.
But the mercurial Wolves improved from atrocious to mediocre in the second quarter, and the game was a contest once again.
An 11-point run, led by Wolves rookie forward Donyell Marshall, cut the Bullets' lead to 39-30 with 6:19 left in the half. One of Marshall's baskets -- a drive and scoop layup around Muresan -- demonstrated the Wolves had overcome their earlier gun-shyness inside.
"We had a nice flow early in the game, and they missed some tough shots," Lynam said. "Then they pressed us and we made some mistakes, got rattled and lost our composure."
But not the game. A combination of little things and a big Romanian saw to that.
BULLETS TONIGHT
Opponent: Chicago Bulls
Site: United Center, Chicago
Time: 8:30
TV/Radio: Ch. 20, WGN/WWLG (1360 AM), WTEM (570 AM)
Outlook: The Bulls, who are two games below .500 (23-25), lost two straight before the All-Star break. F Scottie Pippen is unhappy in Chicago but is perhaps the best all-around player in the league (21.6 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 5.3 apg). The Bulls are winless in two games against the Bullets this season. The most recent meeting was at USAir Arena on Jan. 16, a victory that broke a 10-game losing streak for the Bullets. This is the last of five straight road games for the Bullets, who will play host to the Houston Rockets on Friday.