Lakers Survive Double Overtime Thriller
Los Angeles Lakers 125 @ Minnesota Timberwolves 123
Mar 8, Minnesota - The Target Center had its third highest attendence this season and the fans got their money's worth, even if it meant that the home team lost in a nail biting finish. The Lakers and Timberwovles duelled in an epic battle led by their two big men, that boiled down to the final second.
Kwame Brown led his team with career highs of 47 points and 27 rebounds. Fredrick Ratchuk was impressive with 29 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals and a career high 49 minutes. Carlos Boozer finished with 11 points, 23 rebounds and 7 assists.
The Wolves' Kevin Garnett, the leading MVP candidate this season countered Brown's attack with 24 ponits, 28 rebounds and 5 blocks. He led 5 players in double figures with 3 others scoring at least 20 points.
The Lakers' Kobe Bryant was courtside with coach Magic Johnson screaming at his teammates for the whole game. "That was simply awesome," Bryant said after the first overtime period expired, "I just wish I could be playing."
The Wolves who haven't met Bryant on court since April last year due to his injury in the playoffs last year and the ankle injury which has him out for another month. They didn't miss him. Sam Cassell confirmed it, "If (Kobe) Bryant was there with his team, I'm not sure if we could have stopped them."
Once Kwame Brown stepped onto the court, it seemed that it was his career night after he scored 21 points in the first quarter. His hot hand cooled down quickly as he missed 10 conscutive shots in the second quarter. "I thought that I was on fire," Kwame said.
The Lakers played a horrible second period to drop back behind the home side before both teams decided to step it up on the defensive end. Kareem Rush struggled against the Wolves' defense while Ron Artest was flash in stopping Wally Szczerbiak from scoring.
"Artest played great on defence," Brian Shaw stated after the hard fought win.
"This was basketball at the most elite level," Kevin Mchale praised the two teams, "The game started as garbage but the defence made it more exciting at the end of the match."
Brown and Rush shot poorly from the charity stripe for the whole second game with the bulk of their shots coming in the second half of the game. Their failure to captalise on the free shots made the game endure on for two more extra sessions.
By the thrid quarter, Minnesota led 71-63 and although they were winning, coach Flip Saunders gave a pep talk not to be forgotten for the rest of this season at least. Garnett gave some inside information into what his coach said, "He told us that if we didn't do well, we would be off the team."
Ths talk seemed to have a great effect after the intermission as the Wolves allowed LA to come back and hit some shots to start trailing by only two baskets. However, with 4:53 to spare, the Wolves were up by 16. At the time, it looked as if the Lakers had lost. Even Michael Cooper thought so, "The team was losing to the better team. I thought we were gone."
Three minutes later, courtesy of Juan Dixon's three steals; that led to fast break points, and Kyle Korver's back to back treys, Cooper had a different opinion, "We have a chance."
Minnesota's Kevin Garnett caught the ball on the baseline with 12.4 seconds remaining and then on the drop step, dunked on Carlos Boozer with ease. It put the Wolves up 91-87. "I thought we had won after that basket, boy was I wrong," Garnett told the press.
The Lakers called a timout and then put the ball in the hands of Juan Dixon on the left sideline. Dixon called for a screen and Brown set one on Cassell's right hand side. Juan blew past Sam Cassell's left and drove hard to the rack to convert the layup he missed half a minute prior. Then a miracle fell right into the hands of the Lakers when Cassell slipped and Ratchuk intercepted the inbounds pass to pass to an open Kwame Brown for the dunk with 1.7 seconds left.
"After that first quarter, then goign cold like a potato. Boy- was I syked after sending the game to OT!" Kwame said.
The first overtime period was fast paced as both teams scored 18 ponits. Minnesota had the upper hand as Cassell and Garnett scored early buckets and wtahced as Los Angeles took a 6 point disadvantage for the first 3:45 of the 5 minute extra period. Then the Lakers somehow found another way to weave their way back into the game despite Ron Artest's ejection. With 1:21 left, Kwame Brown forced Garnett into a missed basket, he grabbed the rebound then launched it to rookie Ratchuk who sank the three pointer. When the Wolves went back down the court, Garnett missed another short jumper and Sprewell misfired on his own J. Boozer this time scooped up the rebound and passed it down to Kareem Rush. Rush missed the wide open three pointer with 36.2 seconds left.
"The Lakers looked like they were dead," Saunders said, "Until we missed two free throws." Cassell missed both his free throws and the Lakers had a chance to tie the game up. With 14.9 seconds left, Kyle Korver passed the ball in but unfortunately it was crooked and sailed out at half court. Brown showed his frustration and shoved his teammate. Play was stopped for a minute as the teams tried to recompose themselves.
When play resumed, Ratchuk gave Lakers fans something to cheer about finally. The tiny PG shot out of nowhere to knock the ball out of Troy Hudson's hands and sprinted downcourt to launch the three pointer which would send the game into double overtime.
"What a shot! What a shot!" The Wolves play by play commentator had screamed into his mic, "Freddy saves the day!"
The Wolves were struck with awe as they watched the purple and gold celebrate their lucky break. And the Lake Show had its turn to go up by 11 in the second overtime before Minnesota made its own final effort to come back and fell short. A Ratchuk three point dagger with 4:12 left, sent the Target Center crowd silent and by the 2:54 mark, the Wolves were down by 11.
Then Eddie Griffen showed the Lakers how tough he was as he helped the Wolves go on an 8-0 run to catch up to their opponents. "We weren't going to give up," Griffen said.
However, time ran out for the Wolves who sent Rush to miss four free throws and closing the game to a deadly 124-123 scoreline. Ratchuk scored the winning last shot of the game, his second free throw iced it with 7.3 seconds left on the game clock.
"This has got to be one of the most exciting games this season," Kevin Garnett said, after a tiring and frustrating game.
NOTES:
The Lakers knocked the Wolves from fourth in the Western Conference down to sixth while they rose from fifth into fourth and home court advantage... The Lakers' away games record is back at .500... SG Kobe Bryant may make a return in exactly one month;s time aginst either the Cleveland Caviliers or the Denver Nuggets... Current Record: 15-8 (8-1, 7-7)
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