Lakers win 21 staright over T-Wolves

Timberwolves JJ Barara
drives past Lakers Steve Blake
late in the first half of
the Lakers 116-94
victory.

With their 116-94 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers have moved to a 4-1 record since the All Star break, one game under the .500 mark and two games behind the Houston Rockets for the eighth and final spot in the tough wild wild west. While the Lakers did play well last night, the outcome of the win is much more important than how they actually went about winning the game. With a home loss to a very bad road team in the Timberwolves, it would have put the Lakers back three games behind the Houston Rockets with games against the Hawks, Thunder and Bulls coming up in the next five. And while the other five teams competing for the last 2 and 3 playoff spots Utah, Houston, Golden State, and Portland have all been struggling recently, it’s not in the Lakers best interest to keep pace with their struggles if their ultimate goal is to make the post season. Considering their upcoming schedule 12 of the last 23 games will come against non-playoff and/or bubble-playoff teams they have an opportunity to finish the season very strong and could very well end up as high as the seventh seed. Every win matters from here on out, and losses will really matter more.

The second unit was able to put in work tonight. Other than Kobe Bryant, the great teamwork of Steve

Lakers starters looknon as the bench puts in work.

Blake, Antawn Jamison and Jodie Meeks outscored the Lakers starters with 46 points on 37 shots with 18 rebounds and 7 assists. Blake played very well by getting the offense in its sets, finding open teammates with 6 assists and picking his spots well. Blake was three for five from the three point line and had a very immpressive seven rebounds. I thought Blake was very good passing the ball. He had a pass to Jamison who slipped a screen late in the first that was very smart and a pass to Dwight Howard in the second where he drew the defense in until Howard was free, then gave a nice bounce pass right behind Greg Steisma of the T-Wolves.

Lakers walking off after a very pleasable victory.

It was a great night for the Lakers. With Golden State, Houston and Utah all losing two days ago and with Houston playing in Orlando, the Warriors playing the Celtics, and the Jazz playing the Bobcats it was essential for them to pick up this win and close the gap between those currently in the top 8 seeds and themselves. Again, they’re only two games outside of a playoff spot with 23 games left to play in the regualr season. Getting in is very going to be very difficult and a feirce battle, but they have to win the gimmie games like tonight that they had struggled with to begin the season. They play again on Sunday night at 6:30 (pacific time) against the Atlanta Hawks.