By JON KRAWCZYNSKI
AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) --  Kevin Garnett's old home doesn't feel like
home anymore.

On his most recent return to Target Center - he led Boston to a
92-90 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night
- Garnett was cheered wildly by the crowd, just like in the old
days.

He delivered an all-around performance that was critical to
victory, just like in the old days.

But as he looked around in his third trip to Minnesota since the
Timberwolves traded him to the Celtics in 2007 - at the
franchise he helped put on the map and the arena he practically
helped build - it has never felt more foreign to him.

Almost everyone is gone from the KG era in Minnesota. Not one
teammate remains from his final year in 2006-07. The architect -
Kevin McHale, who drafted Garnett straight out of high school in
1995 - was ushered out this summer by owner Glen Taylor and new
president of basketball operations David Kahn.

Kahn hired Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis to be the coach and made
more than 20 offseason trades and roster moves to change the
face of a wilting franchise.

Kahn's ambitious remodel has rendered the team, and the
building, unrecognizable to the only star this franchise has
ever had. He finally found a shred of familiarity in pregame
warmups when he glanced toward the rafters to see the big No. 2
jersey still hanging in honor of his friend and former teammate
Malik Sealy, who was killed in a car accident in 2000.

"The only thing that's (from the) past that I can take a glimpse
of is the Malik banner up there. I took a minute to just look at
it," Garnett said. "But when it comes to the building, so many
different changes here, it's not even the same tunnel. So
there's so many different changes that I can't really relate to.
So there's no need to dig into that part of it. Faces are
different in the crowd."

For better or worse, Garnett has always been a fiercely loyal
person. When the Timberwolves decided to trade him after 12
seasons, there was a part of him that was deeply hurt to leave
the city where he grew from a skinny 18-year-old boy into a man.

But all the changes since have made it much easier for Garnett
to move on.

"I just try to embrace that and go forward and apply the things
I've learned through my past to my future and move on," said
Garnett after scoring 12 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and coming
up with a big defensive stop to help the Celtics (6-0) stay
undefeated.

The only significant franchise connection to Garnett that
remains is Fred Hoiberg, a teammate of Garnett's who is now the
vice president of basketball operations.

"He's corporate now," Garnett quipped.

The Timberwolves have moved on as well. They are one of the
youngest teams in the league, with a bright future ahead of them
thanks to abundant cap room, a bevy of draft picks and a
talented young core featuring Al Jefferson, Kevin Love and Jonny
Flynn.

"Yeah, that's old," Jefferson said of Garnett's influence here.
"Move on from that."

In the end, Garnett got the best of his old team once more,
improving to 5-0 against the Wolves and leaving knowing full
well that the Minnesota chapter of his life is closed for good.

"I think with situations, you need to embrace them and embrace
them fully, and look forward to them," Garnett said. "The past
is the past. You enjoy what happened in the past and you look
forward to what's in your future."