Lakers Vs. Timberwolves: L.A. Blows Lead, But Holds On For Rare Road Win

According to sources, Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski is saying the Los Angeles Lakers have spoken with the Cleveland Cavaliers about possibly acquiring guard Ramon Sessions.

Sessions is among a list of guards the Lakers are looking at to add depth to a depleted backcourt. Steve Blake is out with an injury, Derek Fisher is uber-amounts-of-elderly and they've had to rely on rookies Andrew Goudelock and Darius Morris for long stretches.

The Cavaliers would like draft picks in return for any players traded as they continue their rebuilding process and the Lakers also own an 8.9 million trade exception from the Lamar Odom trade to Dallas.

Sessions scored a career-high 32 points and added eight assists in a February 16, 2011 game last season against the Lakers.

The Lakers have also been linked to Gilbert Arenas and worked out Morris Peterson recently as well.

For more news and information on the Lakers, be sure to read Silver Screen and Roll.

There aren't many things that can tear apart a team, especially a team with designs on contending, than doubt. The Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night allowed a 17-0 to a woefully undermanned Milwaukee Bucks team, a run from which the Lakers never recovered as they lost their seventh road game in eight tries this season. On Sunday at the Target Center, the Lakers held an 18-point lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter, a lead that was completely erased just minutes into the fourth quarter.

At this point, there was definitely doubt, if not outright panic, wondering would this Laker team ever win another road game again? After all, this was the Timberwolves, a team the Lakers had beaten 15 straight times, including seven straight in Minnesota. Yet the Lakers were about to give away another game they should have won.

That's when the Big Three showed up.

With Minnesota leading by a point with just over three minutes remaining, the Lakers leaned on Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum. On six straight possessions the Lakers scored, with all three sharing equally:

• Bynum dunked (from Gasol)
  
• Gasol jump shot (from Derek Fisher)
• Bynum dunked (from Gasol)
• Kobe hit a pull-up jumper
• Kobe hit a runner
• Gasol hit two free throws

The 12-2 run was efficient and deadly, and has been sorely missing for most of the season. The three combined for 84 points and 27 rebounds on the night, led by 35 points and 14 boards from Kobe, and the Lakers hit the century mark for just the second time this season. In the end, the Lakers did win 106-101, their 16th consecutive win over Minnesota.

Never in doubt.

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It wasn't pretty, but the Los Angeles Lakers were able to snap a pair of dubious streaks on Sunday night in Minneapolis. Kobe Bryant scored 35 points and grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds, leading the Lakers to a 106-101 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The win snapped a four-game road losing streak for the Lakers, who are now 2-7 away from home on the season.

The Lakers also scored 100 points for just the second time all season, snapping a streak of 13 consecutive games under the century mark, a franchise record for the shot clock era. The Lakers have now beaten the Timberwolves 16 straight times, including eight straight in Minnesota.

After scoring 10 points in the second quarter, Bryant scored 13 more points in the third, leading the Lakers to an 18-point cushion. But Minnesota closed out the third quarter on a 19-6 run to cut the lead to five heading into the final period.

Minnesota continued their onslaught in the fourth quarter, taking their first lead of the game with 5:09 remaining in the game on a tip-in by Michael Beasley. The Timberwolves held a one-point lead after a three-pointer by Martell Webster with three minutes remaining, but the Lakers responded with a 12-2 run to put the game away.

Pau Gasol scored a season-high 28 points on 11-of-15 shooting, including 14 points in the first quarter as the Lakers built a 22-19 lead. Andrew Bynum added 21 points and seven rebounds for the Lakers, who were outrebounded 52-41 by Minnesota.

Kevin Love had 33 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Timberwolves.

Metta World Peace started his first game of the season for the Lakers, and though he had just two points, four rebounds, and three assists in 33 minutes, he helped spread the floor. The Lakers ran several plays through World Peace on the low post, and were able to get, and make, open shots. The Lakers shot 50.6% in the win.

Bryant made five three-pointers in the win, and made 14 of his 29 field goal attempts for the game. Kobe passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most field goals made in Lakers franchise history, and now has 9,946 made baskets in his 16-year career.

The Lakers return home to host the Charlotte Bobcats Tuesday night before embarking on their six-game Grammy road trip.

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Pau Gasol was hot in the first quarter, Kobe Bryant shouldered the scoring load in the second quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers took a 53-45 lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves into halftime Sunday night at Target Center in Minneapolis. The Lakers have beaten the Timberwolves 15 consecutive times, including each of their last seven games in Minnesota.

Bryant scored 13 points and had eight rebounds in the first half, along the way setting a new Lakers franchise record. Kobe's driving reverse layup with 4:52 remaining in the second quarter gave him 9,936 field goals made in his career, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. As of halftime, Bryant has made 9,938 field goals in his career.

Kobe's season high for rebounds is 10. Bryant scored 10 of his 13 points in the second quarter. Gasol scored 14 of his 16 points in the first quarter, making six of eight shots from the field. Gasol added four rebounds in the first half. The Lakers shot 53.7% in the first half (22 of 41), including three for six from three-point range.

Kevin Love had 16 points and six rebounds in the first half for Minnesota, who shot 37.5% (18 for 48) from the field. Nikola Pekovic added 11 points and seven boards for the Timberwolves.

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Kobe Bryant, already the leading scorer in Los Angeles Lakers franchise history, passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for another franchise record on Sunday night, battling the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center in Minnesota. Bryant hit a reverse layup with 4:52 remaining in the second quarter on Sunday, giving him 9,936 field goals made in his career, most in Lakers franchise history.

Kobe also holds the Lakers franchise record for games played, minutes played, field goals attempted, free throws made, and three-pointers made and attempted. Bryant also ranks second in steals, 48 behind Magic Johnson for the lead.

For more news and information on Lakers basketball, be sure to read Silver Screen and Roll.

The Los Angeles Lakers have struggled mightily of late, especially on the road, so head coach Mike Brown decided to change things up on Sunday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Brown inserted Metta World Peace into the starting lineup for the first time this season, looking for a change of pace.

The Lakers have lost five of their last seven games overall, are 1-7 on the road, and have scored under 100 points in 13 straight games, the longest streak in franchise history since the advent of the shot clock in the 1954-1955 season.

The former Ron Artest started 721 of 763 games in his first 12 NBA seasons, but this season World Peace has been exclusively a reserve, averaging 5.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 20.9 minutes per game. World Peace is shooting just 33.1% from the field this season, and has made just seven of 43 shots from three-point range (16.3%). Here are Sunday's starting lineups:

Lakers (11-9)

Point Guard: Derek Fisher

Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant

Small Forward: Metta World Peace

Power Forward: Pau Gasol

Center: Andrew Bynum

Timberwolves (9-10)

Point Guard: Ricky Rubio

Shooting Guard: Luke Ridnour

Small Forward: Wesley Johnson

Power Forward: Kevin Love

Center: Nikola Pekovic

Center Darko Milicic is out sick for Minnesota.

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The Los Angeles Lakers end their brief two-day midwest road trip with a Sunday night battle against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center in Minneapolis. Here are the relevant details for Sunday's game, during which the Lakers look to rebound from losing five of their last seven games.

Records: Lakers (11-9), Timberwolves (9-10)

Location: Target Center in Minneapolis

Time: 4 p.m. PST

TV: KCAL channel 9, with Bill Macdonald and Stu Lantz on the call

Offensive Efficiency: Minnesota, 102.7 points per 100 possessions (15th in NBA); Lakers, 102.3 (16th)

Defensive Efficiency: Lakers, 100.8 (11th); Minnesota 101.0 (13th)

Series History: The Lakers have had their way with the Timberwolves in recent seasons, winning each of their last 15 meetings, including seven straight victories in Minnesota.

Road Woes: The Lakers have lost four straight road games and are just 1-7 away from home on the season, their worst start on the road since beginning the 2002-2003 season 1-8 on the road.

Look Out Kareem: Kobe Bryant made 10 field goals on Saturday in Milwaukee en route to scoring 27 points. Kobe has made 9.932 field goals in his career, just three shy of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the all-time franchise lead.

Double-Double Machine: Timberwolves power forward extraordinaire Kevin Love had 64 double-doubles last season, just two behind Dwight Howard for the NBA lead. This season Love is better than ever, averaging 24.9 points and 13.8 rebounds per contest. The former UCLA Bruin has a league-best 18 double-doubles in 19 games this season.

For more news and information on the Lakers, be sure to read Silver Screen and Roll.