Lakers @ Timberwolves

So much for that idea. They got 4 wins in a row but couldn't get the 5th. They started off badly and couldn't recover, thanks in part to the refs and a below average offense.

The offense did not look nearly as good as it has during the winning streak. The ball movement was poor, assists were down, rebounds were rare and their fg percentage poor. On the positive side, Mihm had a great game with 15 and 11 on 6-9 shooting. Kobe also had a good offensive game, I would label it great if he didn't have 3 assists and 7 turnovers. The worst offensive performance unfortunately belonged to Smush, who had 0 points and 0 rebounds and was 0-7 from the floor. Way too many zeroes! Even with their shortfalls on offense they still had a chance due to their aggressive defense until the refs stepped in.

The refs did a poor job in this one, especially in the 3rd quarter. The T'Wolves went to the line 14 times, the Lakers, once! If it weren't for the refs putting them at the line all quarter, I think the Lakers would have at least closed the gap if not taken the lead in the quarter. For the record, Phil thought it was most poorly officiated game of the year.

Well, enough of this ugly one, there are still chances of a good roadtrip.

Lakers lose 95-82, Record 10-10