RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Shaquille O'Neal is hurting less and that
means the Los Angeles Lakers are feeling pretty good about
themselves.
|  | | Shaquille O'Neal attempts to block the shot attempt of Minnesota's Chauncey Billups Friday night. |
Playing his best game in a week, O'Neal had 28 points, 16
rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots as the Lakers
defeated Minnesota 115-108 Friday night, snapping the Timberwolves'
five-game winning streak.
O'Neal has been bothered by a sprained left ankle, strained
Achilles' tendon and sore thumbs. He had a combined 29 points in
his two previous games after not playing at Denver on Nov. 18.
"It's going to take me a couple days, a couple weeks to get
back, but I'll be fine," O'Neal said. "I'm good enough to do what
I did tonight and every night."
The rest of the Lakers were pretty good, too. Kobe Bryant scored
29 points, Rick Fox added 15 points and Isaiah Rider had 10 points
off the bench. Los Angeles shot 52.3 percent, topping the 50
percent mark for the second straight game.
"I like the last two games that we played," O'Neal said.
"Everybody is sharing the ball, moving the ball, having a little
bit more fun. If we can keep that up, by January, February, March,
we'll once again be a dangerous team."
It was Minnesota's 13th straight road loss to the Lakers, a span
of nearly seven years. But the Wolves had their chances in what was
a close game until late in the third period.
Terrell Brandon had 27 points for the Wolves, two days after
returning to the lineup after missing four games with a sprained
left ankle. Kevin Garnett was held to 19 points -- six below his
average.
Two nights after the Lakers blew out Golden State by 20 points,
the Wolves made them work for their sixth consecutive home victory.
"They made a little run in the third quarter and we didn't
really answer it until late in the game," Garnett said. "We were
playing pretty much neck and neck before that."
The Lakers opened their first double-digit lead of the game late
in the third quarter, using an 18-9 run to go up 87-76 heading into
the final 12 minutes. O'Neal had six points in the spurt, which
included eight unanswered points by the Lakers.
"We took a lot of quick shots," Brandon said. "There is a
tendency to take a quick shot when you are down to try to get back
in the game. But when you miss and the other team scores, you put
yourself in a deeper hole."
Brandon kept the Wolves close early in the third, including a
22-foot jumper that drew them within two with 5:43 remaining -- the
closest Minnesota would get the rest of the game. The Wolves got
within six in the final minute when the Lakers' starters had
already sat down.
Chauncey Billups, who added 13 points, said the Wolves should
have gone to Garnett more in the second half.
"A lot of times we get caught up in going into the big fella
and we sit around and watch, instead of back-screening and moving
away and giving him some options," Billups said.
"But he's so good, we just expect to throw it to him and watch
him get his basket. He's done that so many times, he just spoils
us. But in a game like this, when we throw it into him and things
are not going the way they should, we don't react the way we're
supposed to. And we just have to get over that. And we will."
Fox launched the decisive run with a dunk as the Lakers got
diversified scoring on baskets from Horace Grant and a 3-pointer by
rookie Mike Penberthy before Bryant closed out the third with an
18-foot jumper.
Bryant scored seven of the Lakers' first nine points of the
fourth, giving them a 96-78 lead with 7:30 remaining.
Game
notes
The Lakers handed the Wolves their worst loss last season,
a 33-point defeat on Feb. 9. ... The Wolves' last victory over the
Lakers was a 101-99 decision on Dec. 5, 1993, when the Lakers still
played at the Forum in Inglewood. ... Minnesota is 2-20 against the
Lakers in California. ... Los Angeles has scored in triple digits
in six of its last seven games. ... Lakers starting guard Ron
Harper missed the game to attend his grandfather's funeral in
Texas. He'll be back for Monday night's "road" game against the
Clippers. ... Minnesota may be able to start a new winning streak
with its next eight games against teams that failed to make the
playoffs last season.
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NBA Scoreboard
Minnesota Clubhouse
LA Lakers Clubhouse
RECAPS
Philadelphia 76
Atlanta 67
Boston 103
Orlando 98
Cleveland 85
Miami 80
Detroit 118
Vancouver 96
Indiana 99
Washington 87
Charlotte 106
Milwaukee 90
Denver 102
San Antonio 92
Phoenix 80
Golden State 74
Utah 97
New Jersey 85
Seattle 98
LA Clippers 81
LA Lakers 115
Minnesota 108
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