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Lakers crush Wolves
April 30, 2003

A capacity crowd at the Target Center tried to rattle the Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal at the free throw line Tuesday night. Despite the crowd's enthusiasm, The Lakers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-90. (MPR Photo/Jim Bickal)

The Los Angeles Lakers crushed the Minnesota Timberwolves Tuesday night 120-90, to take a three-games-to-two lead in their best-of-seven NBA playoff series.

Minneapolis, Minn. — For the first time in this series the Target Center was packed. More than 20,000 fans made it the biggest home crowd the Timberwolves have ever drawn for a playoff game.

They came to see a team that had shown -- in Los Angeles -- that it could hold its own against the three-time defending champions. When Kevin Garnett hit a jump shot on the first play of the game, the crowd was ready to erupt.

"Our crowd was crazy," said Garnett after the game. "It's great. A lot of energy. Usually I do a really good job of controlling my energy and stuff, but man I couldn't even help it. It was so energized when we first hit the floor. I wish everybody in here could play basketball and come out to a crowd like that at least once."

But the Lakers quickly took the crowd out of the game with their hot shooting, led by point guard Derek Fisher who hit some big three-pointers early in the game. Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders says Fisher's shooting helped the Lakers relax.

"It's tough when they come down and Fisher hits a three right away and they get into it. You've got to dictate the tempo early, and we didn't totally do that and so they got into a comfort zone," Saunders said. "They're a very good team. When they play and they get up 12 or 14 , they really get into a rhythm and it's a lot easier to shoot those shots when it's a 14, 16 point game and they're up then when it's a two, four point game."

The Timberwolves did come back and take a one-point lead with five minutes left in the first half, but the Lakers got some steals that they turned into easy baskets and built their lead back up to 10 by halftime. Saunders says the Timberwolves are usually very good at avoiding turnovers.

"They took what was our strength, which is our ability as far as to not turn the ball over on our offense, and made it their strength, made it our weakness. We tried to come back a few times, but they really dictated the game and they played with a great amount of energy," said Saunders.

One of the most energetic plays of the game came midway through the third quarter, when Lakers' superstar Kobe Bryant drove around Kevin Garnett and Rasho Nesterovich and went up for a spectacular reverse dunk that stunned the Target Center crowd.

Bryant says making a shot like that is worth more than the two points that go up on the scoreboard.

"A slam like that can be demoralizing to the home team. It can take a lot of life out of the crowd. So, when the opportunity is there, you got to take advantage of it," Bryant said.

That basket put the Lakers ahead by 18, and the Timberwolves never made a serious run at the Lakers again. By the middle of the fourth quarter, the record setting crowd was heading for the exits as the Lakers built a 30-point lead.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson says in this game his players finally look like a team that can make another championship run.

"I always tell them that we need a breakout game to really establish what kind of team we are. And that's the team I recognize, moving the ball, limiting their turnovers, establishing a defensive core," said Jackson.

Which leaves the Timberwolves looking to regroup, as they head west to Staples Center in Los Angeles for a game they have to win or their season is over. Kevin Garnett says his team will be ready.

"It's win or die. That's basically what it's down to. We got all the confidence in the world. We won in Staples before and I hope they don't think this is over cause we comin'," said Garnett.

Game six of this best-of-seven series will be played Thursday night.

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