LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Lakers suffered their fourth straight defeat on Friday night, dropping a close 120-119 decision against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Staples Center.
Mo Williams and Thaddeus Young came up big for the visiting Wolves, finishing with 25 and 22 points, respectively, But it was rookie Zach LaVine who stole the thunder by scoring 28 in just 26 minutes off the bench.
The 19-year old LaVine, who played college ball in nearby UCLA (University of California Los Angeles), made 11 of 14 field goals and was perfect from 3-point range (2-for-2) and at the free throw line (4-for-4).
"I was just in the flow and running the floor hard. when any player feels like it's going in, the hoop looks big. I was just throwing it up and it was going in," said LaVine, who left college early and was taken as the No.13 pick in last June's draft.
Kobe Bryant carried the Lakers with 26 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals, but the Black Mamba missed a potential game-winning triple as time expired.
It was another disappointing setback for the Lakers, who led 30-19 after Ronnie Price made a bucket with 37 seconds left in the opening quarter. The fourth consecutive loss dropped the purple-and-gold franchise to last place in the Western Conference with a 3-13 record.
Minnesota, meanwhile, arrested a three-game skid and improved to 4-10.
Photo: Rookie Zach LaVine (middle) scored 28 points to lead the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves over the L.A. Lakers at Staples Center -- 120-119 -- on Friday night.
Comments
Share your thoughts on the above article by Mohan Labra Ramchandani.