Lakers 106 - 101 Timberwolves
Final
  for this game

Lakers continue dominance over T'Wolves

Jan 30, 2012 - 4:06 AM Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Kobe Bryant scored 35 points and pulled down 14 rebounds, as the Los Angeles Lakers recorded their 16th straight victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 106-101 decision.

Pau Gasol added 28 points and six boards for the Lakers, who improved to 2-7 on the road this season. Andrew Bynum donated 21 points and seven rebounds.

Kevin Love posted his 19th double-double of the season with 33 points and 13 boards for the Timberwolves, who haven't beaten the Lakers since March 6, 2007.

Michael Beasley also had a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds for Minnesota, which had a two-game winning streak snapped. Nikola Pekovic tallied 13 points and nine boards.

Trailing by one, 94-93, with 3:19 to play, the Lakers went on a 12-2 run to claim victory. Bynum got the burst started with a slam and Gasol added a jumper for a 97-94 lead.

After Anthony Randolph's tip-in made it a one-point game, Bynum put down a slam. Randolph's missed jumper led to Bryant's 13-foot jumper, making it a 101-96 game with 1:16 left.

Ricky Rubio and Martell Webster missed jumpers at the other end. Bryant's running jumper and Gasol's two free throws made it 105-96 with 20.3 seconds to play.

"They kicked our behinds on the glass," Lakers head coach Mike Brown said. "They had 24 offensive rebounds for the 32 second chance points. It would be interesting to go back and watch the tape to see how they kept beating us to the ball. Maybe we were tired, maybe we didn't box out. I don't know."

Gasol came out of the gates on fire, shooting 6-of-8 from the field in the first quarter en route to 14 points. His big effort over the first 12 minutes of action helped the Lakers take a 22-19 lead.

Holding a 41-36 margin with 5:13 to go in the half, Los Angeles scored eight straight points to create some distance. Gasol's jumper made it a 49-36 game with 2 1/2 minutes remaining.

But Minnesota scored nine of the half's final 13 points to cut the gap to 53-45.

It seemed like LA was ready to put the game away midway through the third stanza. An 8-0 burst had the Lakers in front by a 73-55 margin with 5:07 left.

But the Timberwolves ended the frame on a 14-2 run to get back in the game. Love had five points during the surge that Rubio capped with a bank shot, cutting the gap to 79-74.

Down by four, 89-85, with 7:26 to play, Minnesota went on a 6-0 flurry to take the lead. Beasley's tip-in gave the home team a 91-89 edge with 5:09 left.

"We fought back and gave ourselves a chance to win," Love said.

Game Notes

The Lakers shot 50.6 percent from the field and went 8-for-19 from three-point range, while Minnesota shot 38.5 percent from the floor and 5-for-21 from beyond the arc...The Timberwolves had 52 rebounds, compared to 41 for the Lakers...Bryant surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most field goals made in franchise history.






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