SACRAMENTO, Calif., Dec. 22 -- The Minnesota Timberwolves brought guard Michael Williams off the injured list Monday in time for last night's contest at Sacramento. In his first game appearance in more than two years, he scored six points and grabbed two rebounds in ten minutes of action in an 89-79 loss to the Kings.
Williams had not played since November 28, 1995. He missed the final five months of that season and all of last year because of a strained plantar fascia in his left heel. The same injury and subsequent surgery had limited him to just one game in the 1994-95 campaign, and he was around for only nine games in '95-96. The problem that cost him the first 24 games this season was a hamstring injury. Williams has been with the Timberwolves since a September 1992 trade with Indiana, but only three times in the five years since then has he played a full season. Now in his ninth year, Williams has career averages of 11.6 points, 6.1 assists and 2.7 rebounds a game. Minnesota opened up a roster spot by placing guard DeJuan Wheat on the injured list. The rookie from Louisville has bursitis in his right knee. Wheat has come off the bench in 16 games, and is averaging 1.1 points in just over four minutes per contest.