Lakers bring Westbrook off bench, but Timberwolves extend their winless start
2 years ago
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Lakers forward LeBron James drives against Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels during the first half on Friday night in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert drives to the basket while the Lakers’ Damian Jones defends during the first half on Friday night in Minneapolis. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Lakers guard Kendrick Nunn attempts a shot while defended by Minnesota Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell during the first half on Friday night in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards drives to the basket while the Lakers’ Troy Brown Jr. defends during the first half on Friday night in Minneapolis. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Lakers guard Russell Westbrook shoots during the first half of their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Lakers guard Russell Westbrook, left, celebrates his basket against during the first half of their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night in Minneapolis. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Lakers forward LeBron James, right, passes the ball while the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels defends during the first half on Friday night in Minneapolis. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Lakers forward LeBron James reacts toward a referee during the first half of their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ Taurean Prince goes up for a shot while the Lakers’ Kendrick Nunn defends during the first half on Friday night in Minneapolis. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Lakers guard Russell Westbrook reacts toward a referee during the first half of their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Lakers guard Kendrick Nunn drives around Minnesota Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell during the first half on Friday night in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Lakers guard Russell Westbrook, right, blocks a shot by the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards during the first half on Friday night in Minneapolis. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Lakers forward Troy Brown Jr., left, forward LeBron James, center, and guard Patrick Beverley look on during the first half of their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Lakers center Damian Jones, right, is fouled while shooting by Minnesota Timberwolves guard Bryn Forbes during the first half on Friday night in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Lakers guard Russell Westbrook looks on during the first half of their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night in Minneapolis. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns drives against Lakers center Damian Jones during the second half on Friday night in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Lakers guard Patrick Beverley, left, and Minnesota Timberwolves forward Anthony Edwards match up during the second half on Friday night in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Lakers guard Patrick Beverley drives to the basket while the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels defends during the second half on Friday night in Minneapolis. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Anthony Edwards drives as Lakers guard Patrick Beverley defends during the second half on Friday night in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Lakers guard Russell Westbrook goes up for a shot over the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns during the second half on Friday night in Minneapolis. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Anthony Edwards shoots as Lakers guard Austin Reaves defends during the second half on Friday night in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Anthony Edwards, left, celebrates after a basket by center Rudy Gobert, right, during the second half of their game against the Lakers on Friday night in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Lakers guard Russell Westbrook passes the ball while the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns, left, defends during the second half on Friday night in Minneapolis. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert reacts to an official’s call during the second half of their game against the Lakers on Friday night in Minneapolis. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Lakers forward LeBron James is fouled by the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns during the second half on Friday night in Minneapolis. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Lakers forward LeBron James reacts during the final minute of play in the second half of their 111-102 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns shoots the ball over the Lakers’ Troy Brown Jr. during the second half on Friday night in Minneapolis. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns reacts to an official’s call during the second half of their game against the Lakers on Friday night in Minneapolis. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ Jaylen Nowell blocks a shot by Lakerss guard Russell Westbrook during the second half on Friday night in Minneapolis. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Lakers guard Lonnie Walker IV goes up for a shot while the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Jaylen Nowell defends during the second half on Friday night in Minneapolis. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Anthony Edwards celebrates his 3-point basket during the second half of their game against the Lakers on Friday night in Minneapolis. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Lakers guard Austin Reaves looks on during the second half of their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night in Minneapolis. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham walks the sideline during the second half of their loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night in Minneapolis. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS — The Lakers might have finally made a breakthrough in one of their biggest quagmires of the season.
However, their losing streak remains intact.
The Lakers made a major decision to bring Russell Westbrook off the bench on Friday, which sparked a more impressive, more functional version of the embattled star. But though Westbrook played what was his best game (18 points, eight rebounds) of the season so far and LeBron James added 28 points, the Lakers (0-5) still lost, 111-102, to the Minnesota Timberwolves (4-2).
The defining factor wasn’t Westbrook, but probably Anthony Davis: The 29-year-old forward missed the game with lower back tightness, forcing the Lakers to contend with a supersized Minnesota lineup. Timberwolves stars Karl-Anthony Towns (21 points) and Anthony Edwards (28 points) helped build a lead down the stretch, then Rudy Gobert (22 points, 21 rebounds) sealed it with baskets at the rim and free throws in the final two minutes against a small-ball Lakers lineup.
It is the first time the Lakers have started 0-5 since the 2014-2015 season, when the team won just 21 games. The Minnesota crowd pounced on it, dropping any shred of Midwestern hospitality to chant “OH AND FIVE” as time ticked off on the latest defeat. Sacramento is the only other winless team in the league.
James acknowledged that though he thought the team brought “great energy” to its shootaround and the game itself, the winless start is hanging over the team: “After the game, (expletive), it’s human nature.”
While the Lakers’ two available stars had their moments, James and Westbrook weren’t particularly efficient from the field (16-for-41 shooting). As a team, the Lakers struggled with turnovers (22 to Minnesota’s 10) and while their shooting was strong by their low standard, they were just 41.6% from the field and 9 for 29 (31%) from 3-point range.
Ham said he thought most of the Lakers’ turnovers were “competitive” when they were trying to make aggressive plays he wants them to finish, but it was hard to swallow the gap.
“It’s not an exact science,” he said. “You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t almost.”
One of the things Ham hoped to see by bringing Westbrook off the bench was how the nine-time All-Star would respond once he was given charge of the second unit, taking off some of the guide rails of a complementary role. While Westbrook checked in with 7:28 left in the first quarter in a unit alongside James, with four minutes left, he was running the show.
Early on, it was the most the former league MVP has resembled his glory days this season. The point guard doled out the ball with decisiveness and precision, but he also made aggressive cuts to the rim and was able to finish in traffic. Within three minutes, the Lakers had cut Minnesota’s 24-16 lead to a single point.
“My hat’s off to him once again,” Ham said of Westbrook. “Came off and showed the type of impact he can have in that reserve role and shoring up our bench – not just coming in and trying to maintain anything but coming in and taking it up a notch.”
The best sequence came to end the first half with James and Westbrook on the court together for a 10-2 run. James followed a Westbrook layup with a powerful dunk, then tied the score for halftime by corralling a miss under the rim (an Austin Reaves look that Westbrook had helped set up) for a putback.
But Westbrook is clearly adjusting to the role. When asked if it’s more difficult to sacrifice in a defeat, he replied: “Hell yeah.”
“Coming off last season, sacrificing. OK, sacrifice more. And you still lose,” he added. “It’s difficult, especially playing and doing things I know I could be able to help our guys.”
Elsewhere in the starting lineup, the Lakers had issues. Filling in for Davis, Damion Jones went just 1 for 4 from the field with a tough matchup against Gobert, the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Patrick Beverley was warmly received in the city where he played last season – even tweeting, “The Love is real in MN” on Friday morning – but his former team wasn’t as kind. He finished with six points and a team-low minus-23 rating.
It wasn’t a stellar game from the rest of the supporting cast, but a few showed improvement. Troy Brown Jr. helped take the lid off of the Lakers’ 3-point shooting by going 4 for 6 from deep, and Wenyen Gabriel had some defensive highlights getting in the rotation to help replace Davis.
Both James and Westbrook praised the overall effort of the team, but they know they need Davis in the fold for any chance to find success.
“When he comes back, we’ll be ready to go,” Westbrook said. “And hopefully that’s sooner rather than later.”
Kyle Goon is a Maryland native who kept traveling west in search of stories. Kyle has been a Lakers beat reporter since 2018, and was one of a few reporters inside the NBA bubble in 2020. He previously worked at The Salt Lake Tribune covering the Utah Jazz and Utah Utes. He is a University of Maryland alum.
