Minnesota had a 25-point lead in the second quarter cut down to four by the Lakers bench but Towns proved to be the difference-maker.
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Minnesota Timberwolves rode on good performances from Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 124-104. Towns scored 30 points with 16 coming in the fourth quarter and Anthony Edwards dropped 27 as the Timberwolves beat a hapless Lakers side as uncertainty over Frank Vogel’s job continues to mount.
“We need that right now, a check underneath the hood, if you will,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said.
Minnesota had a 25-point lead in the second quarter cut down to four by the Lakers bench but Towns proved that to be the difference-maker as he helped the Timberwolves to steady the ship. Point guard Patrick Beverley scored 18 points.
“We made the game competitive. We can’t do that. We can’t play with our food out there,” said Towns, who had 13 rebounds.
Read more: Karl-Anthony Towns explodes for 60 points
LeBron James had just 19 points to lead the Lakers in scoring. The Lakers have now lost 16 of their last 21 games.
“It’s easy to be comfortable when you’re winning. I’ve never been that guy. It’s all about, ‘How comfortable can you be when things become uncomfortable?’ I’m OK with that, too,” James said. “It’s just testing my patience more than any season in the last few years, just because of the way we’re playing.”
According to ESPN, this is the first time in James’ career that his team has trailed by 25 or more points in three straight games.
Russell Westbrook had a decent game with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists but his play was still unconvincing. When he shot an airball on a 3-pointer, he was mocked by Towns who put his hand against his forehead as he mockingly pretended to try to find it.
“When you’re up, everything’s going great. When you’re down, they’ll kick you,” Lakers guard Wayne Ellington said. “So right now, we’re being kicked.”
The Timberwolves went into halftime with the score at 67-46 but the Lakers put on a fight. Westbrook sank one from behind the arc that brought the Lakers to within 9 points with the score at 73-64 in the third quarter. Then, D.J. Augustin drilled a three a scored early in the final quarter to make the score 89-85. The Timberwolves however held on and scored a convincing win at the end.
Russell Westbrook was the victim of some trash talk from the Timberwolves. But a defiant Westbrook paid no attention to that and said after the game, “Nobody over there has done anything in this league that makes me put my eyes up like, ‘Oh, they’re talking to me. Let me respond. No, that’s fine. They’re good. They won a game. Happy for them. Move on to the next one.”
