MINNEAPOLIS - Kevin Garnett has endured his share of frustration with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The validation for that, and for his MVP award, came in a big Game 7 performance against the Sacramento Kings.

Garnett had 32 points, 21 rebounds and five blocks on his 28th birthday, and the Timberwolves advanced to the Western Conference finals with an 83-80 victory Wednesday night.

''I wasn't thinking about anything,'' Garnett said. ''I was just telling everybody to follow my lead.''

The victory, and the matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers, wasn't assured until Chris Webber's 3-point attempt spun around the rim and out as the final buzzer sounded. That stuck star-crossed Sacramento with a Game 7 loss for the third straight year.

''I definitely thought the last shot was good,'' Webber said. ''It did everything but go in. I couldn't believe it came out.''

Minnesota will face the Lakers, idle since Saturday, in Game 1 of the conference finals Friday night in Minneapolis.

''We're up to the challenge,'' said Mark Madsen, who won NBA titles with Los Angeles in 2001 and 2002. ''It's going to be a tremendous series.''

With the Timberwolves clinging to a three-point lead, the Kings had a final possession to tie. Doug Christie's off-balance 3-pointer was an airball, and Brad Miller's layup attempt off the rebound was emphatically rejected by Garnett into the seats.