Kevin McHale says that during his playing days, the Boston Celtics often treated their home preseason schedule like a barnstorming tour.

The legendary Red Auerbach, then the team's general manager, wanted to show off the Celtics in as many of New England's cities as possible.

"Part of making the money was going to Bangor, Maine, going to Worcester, Mass., going to Providence," McHale said. "It was going to different places and trying to put the people in the seats and paying for training camp and paying for salaries."

The NBAis a lot bigger business now, and paying for training camp isn't an issue.

But McHale - now the vice president of basketball operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves - knows how important it is to reach out to fans in outlying areas.

That's why McHale said he was pleased to be in Bismarck on Thursday to announce his Timberwolves will be playing a preseason game at the Civic Center. The Timberwolves will take on the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 19. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

"We're really excited to bring our team up here and let the people in Bismarck see a good young team,"McHale said.

This will be the Timberwolves' fourth appearance in Bismarck. The last was on Oct. 23, 2004, when 9,010 fans turned out for an exhibition game against the Indiana Pacers.

"We had this four years ago, and I think we sold every single seat in the Civic Center, plus standing room," said Tim Hennessy, president of U.S. Bank in Bismarck, which is once again sponsoring the game. "It was a great event. We're looking forward to it again."

McHale agreed that the 2004 trip was a success.

"The people in Bismarck were great the last time we were up here,"McHale said. "It was a complete sellout - a great atmosphere and a great game."

McHale said the game will give Bismarck a chance to see established talent like Minnesota's Mike Miller - a native of Mitchell, S.D. - and Denver's Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson.

But the most exciting prospect might be seeing the Timberwolves' young core - including Al Jefferson, Randy Foye, Corey Brewer and rookie Kevin Love.

McHale said that the Timberwolves are not only a team on the rise, but would likely come to town with something to prove.

"The thing that the fans here should be excited about, is it's going to be a fun game,"McHale said. "Our young guys, you know, every game for them is a big, big game.

"And this exhibition game is going to be a big game for them. They're going to come out there wanting to win - (wanting) playing time, wanting to get our team better."

Tickets will be available starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday. They can be purchased online at http://www. ticketmaster.com, at the Civic Center box office or by calling 222-2121. Ticket prices range from $20 to $90.