From a zero-point, zero-rebound, zero-assist line that caught coach Jerry Sloan's attention at halftime, Brewer scored 16 of his 20 points in the final period as the Jazz pulled away 37-22 in the fourth quarter and improved to 10-17 on the road.

"For us to be a good team, a playoff contender, a championship-contender team, we've got to win on the road," said Brewer, who started his run by banking in a shot as part of a three-point play with 9:47 to go.

"Coach Sloan kind of got after us before the game, saying that we haven't been playing well on the road and we've got to win some games, so we took it to heart."

Deron Williams overcame a 4-for-12 shooting night to finish with 13 points and 13 assists. Kyle Korver scored all 13 of his points in the first half, helping the Jazz break out of their malaise, while Carlos Boozer had 12 points and four rebounds in 22 minutes.

The Jazz now are 9-1 in February, riding a season-best six-game winning streak while setting a tone for the rest of the season. They will live out of their luggage in the next seven weeks, playing 14 of their final 24 games on the road.

With Portland losing to San Antonio, the Jazz find themselves only 1 1-2 games out of the Western Conference's No. 4 playoff seed. There are five teams separated by two games in the standings, all on pace to finish 49-33 or better.

The Jazz took an 83-81 into the fourth quarter, but pushed in front by eight with 7:55 remaining. After Williams hit a jumper, Brewer stripped Mike Miller and raced for a layup while being fouled on the break, his three-point play making it 97-89.

"I told him I thought he played terrific in the second half," Sloan said. "He came back and got more alive. I've got to have that all the time."

Although Minnesota stayed close, the Jazz scored 10 unanswered points to break open the game. Brewer snatched the rebound after Korver missed a three-pointer and dunked to make it 109-97 with 2:57 left.

"We struggled pretty much for three quarters, though, to break away," Williams said. "I know this is a tough team, a resilient team that plays hard, but we had multiple times we had them down eight, nine points, we couldn't stretch the lead out."

The Timberwolves, playing the second game of a back-to-back set, dropped to 1-6 since losing Al Jefferson to a season-ending knee injury. Rookie Kevin Love had a career-high 24 points, with 15 rebounds, hitting 10 of 12 shots.

With several hometown fans from Pella, Iowa, in attendance, Korver sparked the Jazz in the first half. More than hitting 4 of 5 shots, Korver earned trips to the foul line by cutting to get open and even dished to Mehmet Okur for a three-point play off a drive.

The Jazz owned a 48-39 lead with 3:15 left, but fell apart going into halftime. Williams went 1-for-9 in the half and protested as he couldn't draw calls posting up inside, as he tossed up a runner and on a drive to the basket.

Minnesota scored 12 unanswered points, closed the half with a 16-3 run and took a 55-51 lead into the locker room. Boozer coughed up the ball twice as part of the run, part of getting readjusted after a three-month absence.

"It's tough to sit for that long and come in and have to be effective right away," Boozer said. "That's part of the rust, too. I've got to be able to do that. I'll chip the rust off, and you guys know me, I'll catch it in the next few games or so."

rsiler@sltrib.com Storylines

IN SHORT ? The Jazz beat Minnesota for only their third victory in 13 road games dating to the end of their pre-Christmas trip.

KEY MOMENT ? Ronnie Brewer strips Mike Miller and heads the other way for a three-point play with 7:54 remaining.

KEY STAT ? The 120 points scored by the Jazz were a season-high.