Second Half Collapse Allows Loss To Wolves

Yahoo Sports: MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kevin Garnett had 17 points and 15 rebounds and the Minnesota Timberwolves snapped Kobe Bryant’s 30-point game streak at four, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 88-74 on Wednesday night.

Bryant entered the game averaging nearly 37 points a game and having scored 37 in two straight. He finished with 28 points on 12-of-26 shooting, but was a non-factor in the fourth quarter thanks to a stingy zone defense employed by coach Dwane Casey.

Casey said before the game his plan was to let Bryant get his numbers but limit his supporting cast. The Timberwolves did both.

Lamar Odom added 15 points and six rebounds for the Lakers, but foul trouble limited his effectiveness in the fourth.

Bryant seemed to get frustrated with his lack of involvement in the fourth, hoisting a few wild shots that weren’t even close and losing the ball on a pair of reckless drives to the basket. He also missed two free throws down the stretch and was 0-for-5 from the field in the period.

Bryant’s struggles allowed the Timberwolves to overcome a 1-for-10 start to the quarter and seal the win with an 8-0 run that pushed the lead to 82-69 with under 3 minutes to play.

Minnesota’s subs outscored their Los Angeles counterparts 36-19 to overshadow a rough shooting day from their top two scorers.

One night after shooting 52 percent in victory over Atlanta, the Lakers hit their first four shots to jump out to an 11-2 lead. They led by as many as 10 in the first half before Casey went with a smaller lineup that sparked the Wolves.

The Lakers (3-2) move forward on their road trip as they take on the Philadelphia 76ers Friday night. Tipping off at 5:15 PM PST, we will have live Gameday coverage as always in our ClubLakers.com Forums!

There was no offensive execution tonight and it showed in the final score. What was the problem with the Lakers? What attributed to their second half collapse? Sound off in our CL.com Gameday Discussion!

Did you make the Good Call of the Night? Click here to check the Nightly Standings!