NBA LA LAKERS 103
MINNESOTA 97 0:50 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Extended Box
LA LAKERS (107) AT MINNESOTA (101)
LA LAKERS
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
KNIGHT F 25 2-2 3-3 1 5 6 1 5 0 0 7
RICE F 38 8-17 2-2 0 4 4 2 2 0 1 22
ONEAL C 37 7-9 10-18 2 6 8 4 3 0 3 24
BRYANT G 39 6-12 8-10 2 7 9 3 3 0 0 21
HARPER G 32 5-10 2-2 0 1 1 6 0 1 2 13
FISHER 16 3-7 0-0 1 0 1 2 0 0 1 7
FOX 16 0-2 2-2 0 0 0 2 3 1 1 2
PATTERSON 4 1-1 0-2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2
REID 23 2-5 0-0 1 3 4 3 2 0 0 4
ROOKS 10 2-5 1-1 2 2 4 0 0 0 0 5
HORRY DNP - COACH'S DECISION
RODMAN DNP - PERSONAL ISSUES
TOTALS 240 36-70 28-40 10 28 38 23 18 2 8 107
(.514) (.700) TEAM REBS: 8 TOTAL TO: 8(10 PTS)
MINNESOTA
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
MITCHELL F 33 6-14 1-2 0 4 4 4 3 0 0 13
SMITH F 42 7-15 8-12 10 3 13 4 1 1 2 22
D GARRETT C 32 6-11 0-0 4 0 4 1 4 2 0 12
BRANDON G 33 8-18 2-4 3 2 5 7 2 1 1 18
K GARNETT G 40 10-22 0-3 5 6 11 9 2 0 0 21
EVANS 1 1-4 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2
HAMMONDS 4 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 3 0 1 0
JACKSON 15 2-9 2-2 1 2 3 1 0 0 1 6
JORDAN 26 1-3 1-2 3 3 6 3 2 0 1 3
PATTERSON 9 2-4 0-0 1 0 1 0 4 1 1 4
WINTER 5 0-0 0-0 1 2 3 0 5 0 0 0
TOTALS 240 43-101 14-25 28 23 51 29 27 5 7 101
(.426) (.560) TEAM REBS: 18 TOTAL TO: 7(9 PTS)
LA LAKERS 31 16 28 32 - 107
MINNESOTA 29 25 24 23 - 101
BLOCKED SHOTS: LA LAKERS - ONEAL, RICE. MINNESOTA - K GARNETT, SMITH.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: LA LAKERS 7-17 (.412), RICE 4-10, BRYANT 1-2, HARPER
1-3, FISHER 1-2. MINNESOTA 1-6 (.167), K GARNETT 1-2, EVANS 0-2, JACKSON
0-2.
TECHNICALS: LA LAKERS - ILLEGAL DEFENSE 2.
OFFICIALS: HUGH EVANS, TOM WASHINGTON, TONY BROTHERS.
A - 19,006. T - 2:19.
Box Score
LA LAKERS (107)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Knight 25 2-2 3-3 1-6 1 5 7
Rice 38 8-17 2-2 0-4 2 2 22
Oneal 37 7-9 10-18 2-8 4 3 24
Bryant 39 6-12 8-10 2-9 3 3 21
Harper 32 5-10 2-2 0-1 6 0 13
Fisher 16 3-7 0-0 1-1 2 0 7
Fox 16 0-2 2-2 0-0 2 3 2
Patterson 4 1-1 0-2 1-1 0 0 2
Reid 23 2-5 0-0 1-4 3 2 4
Rooks 10 2-5 1-1 2-4 0 0 5
Horry DNP - coach's decision
Rodman DNP - personal issues
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 240 36-70 28-40 10-38 23 18 107
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.514, FT-.700. 3-Point Goals:
7-17, .412 (Rice 4-10, Bryant 1-2, Harper 1-3,
Fisher 1-2). Team rebounds: 8. Blocked shots: 2
(Oneal, Rice). Turnovers: 8 (Oneal 3, Harper 2,
Fisher, Fox, Rice). Steals: 2 (Fox, Harper).
MINNESOTA (101)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Mitchell 33 6-14 1-2 0-4 4 3 13
Smith 42 7-15 8-12 10-13 4 1 22
D Garrett 32 6-11 0-0 4-4 1 4 12
Brandon 33 8-18 2-4 3-5 7 2 18
K Garnett 40 10-22 0-3 5-11 9 2 21
Evans 1 1-4 0-0 0-0 0 1 2
Hammonds 4 0-1 0-0 0-1 0 3 0
Jackson 15 2-9 2-2 1-3 1 0 6
Jordan 26 1-3 1-2 3-6 3 2 3
Patterson 9 2-4 0-0 1-1 0 4 4
Winter 5 0-0 0-0 1-3 0 5 0
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 24043-101 14-25 28-51 29 27 101
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.426, FT-.560. 3-Point Goals:
1-6, .167 (K Garnett 1-2, Evans 0-2, Jackson
0-2). Team rebounds: 18. Blocked shots: 2 (K
Garnett, Smith). Turnovers: 7 (Smith 2, Brandon,
Hammonds, Jackson, Jordan, Patterson). Steals: 5
(D Garrett 2, Brandon, Patterson, Smith).
____________________________________________
La Lakers 31 16 28 32 - 107
Minnesota 29 25 24 23 - 101
____________________________________________
Technical fouls: La Lakers 2 (Illegal Defense 2,
1:54 1st, 1:10 4th). Flagrant fouls: None. A:
19,006. T: 2:19. Officials: Hugh Evans, Tom
Washington, Tony Brothers.
Game Story
MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- The newest and youngest players on the
Los Angeles Lakers helped their teammates forget about the
absence of their oldest and most volatile member.
Glen Rice and Kobe Bryant combined for 12 critical points in the
final 4 1/2 minutes as the Los Angeles Lakers, again playing
without Dennis Rodman, pulled away down the stretch for a
107-101 victory over the slumping Minnesota Timberwolves.
Rice, making his first start for the Lakers since being acquired
from Charlotte last week, scored eight of his season-high 22
points in the fourth quarter.
"It's going to take playing time and just some hard work (to get
my legs back)," Rice said. "I'll need to keep concentrating and
just start sticking my shots."
"I could sense Glen gaining confidence as the game wore on,"
said Lakers coach Kurt Rambis. "He's used to a different
offense than we run. Once he gets the hang of it, he won't have
to run around as much, just stand there and shoot."
The 21-year-old Bryant added 11 of his 21 in the final period
and grabbed nine rebounds as the Lakers bounced back from
Sunday's setback in Sacramento, which the 37-year-old Rodman sat
out for what the team called personal problems.
The Lakers had gone 9-0 since the signing of Rodman, who again
was not with the team as it won for the 11th time in 12 games.
The flamboyant forward is being paid while taking an indefinite
personal leave of absence.
"We hope Dennis gets all of his personal issues resolved and
comes back with a clear mind," Rambis said. "As a basketball
team, we need to move on. I have confidence in our guys that we
cann do the job."
Shaquille O'Neal scored 24 points for the Lakers. An abdominal
strain forced him to miss an 86-75 loss to Minnesota on February
11.
"Right now, it feels very good when they double down, especially
when you throw it out to Kobe and Glen," O'Neal said.
Rice drove the lane and buried a jumper to tie the game, 92-92,
with 4:24 to play. Kevin Garnett answered with his first
3-pointer of the season, but Derek Harper and Rice came back
with consecutive 3-pointers to make it 98-95 with 2:57 left.
After a basket by Terrell Brandon, Bryant hit a reverse layup
and drilled a 3-pointer to build a 103-97 lead with 1:21 to go.
Bryant helped seal the win with a pair of free throws in the
waning seconds.
"We had mental mistakes down the stretch," said Timberwolves
coach Flip Saunders. "We had some very, very good defensive
rotations down the stretch. But in the fourth quarter, we had a
couple of times when we didn't locate guys quick enough. We
didn't rotate, and they knocked down big shots."
Joe Smith had 22 points and 13 rebounds and Garnett added 21, 11
and nine assists. Brandon added 18 points and seven assists for
Minnesota, which is just 5-8 since winning eight of its first 10
games.
The 6-11 Garnett started at shooting guard in place of Anthony
Peeler, who was placed on the injured list earlier in the day
with a strained left calf. Minnesota was already without reserve
shooting guard Malik Sealy, who went on the injured list Friday
with an ankle problem.
"We've got guys out hurt, but we just have to regroup and find
some way to win," Garnett said. "Now it's time to stop the
bleeding. We have to dig ourselves out of this hole."
Ironically, the Timberwolves committed just seven turnovers and
handed out 29 assists, while owning a 51-38 edge on the glass.
But they hit under 43 percent (43-of-101) from the field and
made only 1-of-6 3-pointers.
"We're not quite there yet," Garnett added. "The last three
minutes was the difference in the game. They made some big
shots and we never recovered."
The Lakers shot 51 percent (36-of-70) and connected on 7-of-17
from beyond the arc, including 4-of-10 by Rice. He buried only
1-of-8 3-pointers in his first two games with Los Angeles.
Back-to-back jumpers by Brandon gave the Timberwolves their
largest lead, 54-43, with 1:11 left before halftime. O'Neal
answered with a hook shot and fed rookie Ruben Patterson for a
layup with 1.4 seconds left, trimming the deficit to 54-47.
The margin was 60-52 after Smith sank two free throws early in
the third quarter. The Lakers came back with a 12-2 run, capped
by a layup and 3-pointer from Rice, to take their first lead
since the opening seconds of the second quarter at 64-62.
A pair of layups by rookie Andrae Patterson in the final minute
gave Minnesota a 78-75 lead heading into the final period.
Los Angeles tied the game four times before taking the lead for
good on Rice's final 3-pointer. His other 3-pointer of the
period had tied the game, 90-90, with 5:12 left.
"We have a great group of guys on the team and a great coaching
staff," Rice added. "It's been a lot of fun and it's going to
get better."
Harper chipped in 13 points and six assists, returning to the
starting lineup after missing Sunday's loss with a sprained left
ankle.
The Timberwolves fell to 1-4 since acquiring Brandon last week
in the blockbuster three-team trade that saw Stephon Marbury's
departure from Minnesota. They have lost all three of their
games with Brandon in uniform, with the first two of those
coming against the league-leading Utah Jazz.
