Lakers at Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves have a great opportunity to grab a rare home win when the lowly Los Angeles Lakers visit on Wednesday. If recent history is any indication, the Timberwolves could be dealing with a home crowd with split loyalties as outgoing Lakers star Kobe Bryant has been showered with cheers at each stop since announcing his pending retirement more than a week ago.
While Bryant continues to play big minutes and lead the team in shot attempts, Los Angeles coach Byron Scott made the curious decision prior to Monday’s game to remove youngsters D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle from the starting lineup of the obviously rebuilding club. "Look, (Russell and Randle) are young. They still have a long way to go. They've got a lot of work to do," Scott told reporters. "This change wasn't so much based on them not performing up to their capability, it's based on where we are as a team.” Minnesota has no intention of removing its last two lottery picks – Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins – from the starting lineup but would like to see Wiggins break out of a shooting slump. The reigning Rookie of the Year went 3-of-15 from the floor in a 110-106 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday that dropped the Timberwolves to 2-9 at home.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles), FSN North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE LAKERS (3-18): Scott was quick to point out that the move was not permanent, and Russell and Randle logged 21 minutes each off the bench in Monday’s loss. “Five to 10 games from now, there might be another change,” Scott told reporters. “We might go back to what we did last year with different rotations. I've got to find five pieces at a time that can work and that can work well together. That wasn't working so far as the first unit.” Randle still recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds on Monday while Russell was held to nine points on 4-of-12 shooting.
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (8-12): Minnesota has its own aging former superstar in the starting lineup, but Kevin Garnett is averaging fewer than 17 minutes and attempting fewer than four field goals while serving mainly as a mentor for younger talents like Towns and Gorgui Dieng. Garnett is also occasionally still capable of the spectacular, like when he dunked over Clippers star Blake Griffin on Monday. The highlight play was not enough to avoid a fourth straight loss for the Timberwolves, who will try to salvage the finale of a four-game homestand on Wednesday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Timberwolves PG Ricky Rubio had a career-high 28 points to go with 14 assists in a 112-111 victory at the Lakers in the Oct. 28 season opener.
2. Dieng has scored in double figures in four straight games.
3. Bryant is 12-of-48 from 3-point range in the last five games.