The odds are still almost astronomical. But given the way this series was going, and the way the Lakers were playing, who thought there'd even be a Game 6?
The Timberwolves believed they'd be making one final visit to Los Angeles -- at least they said so publicly. Then they went out and spanked the Lakers, 98-96, Saturday night, earning a stay of execution in the Western Conference finals.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The Lakers, still leading, 3-2, can win the series Monday night at Staples Center, where they are 8-0 in the postseason. They don't appear to have lost all that much confidence, even though they came up curiously ineffective in a game they'd usually win.
As LA coach Phil Jackson was winding up his postgame news conference, a voice from the back of the room asked what he expected from his team in Game 6.
"We'll win," Jackson said, breaking into a smile.
The questioner: Kobe Bryant.
"We wanted to close it out. We wanted to finish the series," Bryant said. "But give credit to Minnesota. They played hard and came up with a big win."
Kevin Garnett and Latrell Sprewell led the way. Garnett had 30 points and 19 rebounds while the trick-or-treat Spree had his crosshairs intact, connecting on 11 of 21 for 28 points.
The Wolves also got a huge lift off the bench from Wally Szczerbiak (11 points) and Fred Hoiberg (14). The latter's 3-point play with 2:29 remaining thwarted a late Lakers rally and led to a game-deciding 7-0 counterrun.
Pay no attention to the final margin of victory. The Lakers scored 6 points in the last six seconds to help account for the 2-point differential. It was not a 2-point game.
Minnesota overcame a sluggish start.
"We were flat, I don't think that's any big secret," Sprewell said -- and used a 17-0 run in the second and third quarters to take control.
Los Angeles got 23 points from Bryant. Karl Malone and Derek Fisher had 17 each. Shaquille O'Neal fouled out following a relatively submissive 17-point, 13-rebound performance.
"They did a good job of keeping the ball out of his hands," Jackson said of O'Neal. "He just needs to be more aggressive."
The Lakers had not lost a game in which they had a chance to close out an opponent since Game 5 of the 2000 NBA Finals against the Pacers. They had since won 12 straight times when the first elimination opportunity presented itself, including twice this playoff season.
The Timberwolves were without Sam Cassell, who sat out with a bad back and hip. And coach Flip Saunders started Michael Olowokandi in the middle, over Ervin Johnson, who had started all 16 previous playoff games.
"A different look," shrugged Saunders. "He is longer and more athletic than the others. Overall, he did a pretty good job, but it's no picnic for anyone."
The Wolves took over in the second quarter, at a time when they had only briefly held a lead -- and a 1-point lead at that -- and had trailed by as many as 10. Minnesota scored the final 13 points of the second quarter as the Lakers went the final 3:32 without a point, which included two bricked free throws by Bryant. Eleven of the 13 points came in the final 2:20, with Garnett and Sprewell each scoring 4 and Hoiberg adding a 3-pointer, the first of the game by the Timberwolves.
The run extended to 17-0 when Trenton Hassell and Garnett opened the third with hoops. The Wolves led by 10 after three (despite a 7-point quarter by O'Neal) and then Sprewell scored 11 straight to blow the lead out to 86-70 with 6:09 to play.
Jackson had to call a timeout for the third time in the game.
The Lakers responded with 10 unanswered points in under three minutes, making it a 6-point game with 3:21 to play.
There were sweaty palms and squirming fannies throughout the Target Center at this point
"We were able to hold the fort," Sprewell said. "That was a huge play by Freddie."
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