The evaluation period continued for the Los Angeles Lakers as they took down the Minnesota Timberwolves, 101-99, in overtime behind two clutch free throws by Jordan Clarkson on the second night of a back to back.
The Timberwolves came in shorthanded once again as they had eight players out with various injuries and only eight players dressed to play. The Lakers, on the other hand, decided to rest Jordan Hill and Carlos Boozer again to give the young guys an opportunity to showcase their talent as the season winds down.
Byron Scott was once again absent as he is attending the funeral services of his mother. Paul Pressey coached the team for a second consecutive night.
The Lakers were in control of the game for most of the night, but the Timberwolves remained within striking distance to eventually close the gap late in the fourth. With a little over two minutes left, Jabari Brown hit a huge three-point jumper and Jordan Clarkson knocked down a mid-range shot to give the Lakers a five-point lead, but Minnesota responded.
Zach LaVine hit two free throws down the stretch and Chase Budinger drained a corner three with six seconds left in regulation. The Lakers called a timeout to run one final play. They got the ball to Ryan Kelly who used a shot fake to get the defender out of the way but missed the potential game-winning three. So overtime it was between these two lottery teams.
In overtime, the two kept going back and forth. All tied at 99, the Lakers had the ball with 18 seconds remaining. After Wayne Ellington’s shot was blocked, Jordan Clarkson hustled for the loose ball and was fouled by Zach LaVine with 0.3 left on the clock. Clarkson drained the two free throws with ease to give the Lakers a two-point lead. The Timberwolves called time and were unable to get a shot off.
The Lakers won but lost lottery leverage. This was the second straight game that the Timberwolves went to overtime as Andrew Wiggins accumulated 49 minutes again. He finished with a game-high 27 points to go along with six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks on 50 percent shooting. Chase Budinger was enormous for the Wolves off the bench, totaling 22 points and six rebounds in 40 minutes.
Zach LaVine also played heavy minutes, scoring 18 points, snatching six boards, and dishing out five assists in 48 minutes. The Timberwolves are giving large minutes to their young players as they have had four rookies in their starting unit the last two games.
Clarkson paved the way for the Lakers once again with 20 points, five assists, and five rebounds. He did have six turnovers, though. Jeremy Lin scored 19 points and handed five assists in his second straight game as a starter. Ed Davis added 14 points and nine rebounds off the pine in 22 minutes, while Ryan Kelly and Tarik Black had 11 points apiece.
For those on lottery watch, the Timberwolves dropped to 16-55, second worst record in the league. The Lakers improved to 19-51, still fourth worst in the NBA. They are, however, tied in the loss column with the Orlando Magic.
Los Angeles’ road trip continues Friday night in Toronto as they play host to the Toronto Raptors. The Timberwolves hit the road as well, going up against the Houston Rockets on Friday, March 27th.