MINNEAPOLIS -- Vladimir Radmanovic and Maurice Evans combined for 16 points during a 25-2 run in the fourth quarter that rallied the Los Angeles Lakers to a 111-94 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.
One night after shooting just 6-of-19 from the floor and fouling out for the first time in more than a year in a loss to Chicago, Kobe Bryant scored 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting. But the Lakers trailed by 10 to start the fourth, and coach Phil Jackson sat Bryant for the first 8ยฝ minutes of the quarter to remarkable success.
Radmanovic hit two 3-pointers and Evans punctuated the spurt against his former team with a dunk that gave the Lakers a 100-91 lead with 4:39 to go.
The Timberwolves, especially Kevin Garnett, were stunned. After shooting 62 percent and playing nearly flawless offensive basketball through three quarters, they were outscored 34-7 in the lowest-scoring fourth quarter in franchise history.
Garnett, who went toe-to-toe with Bryant for the first three quarters, led Minnesota with 22 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists -- but the Timberwolves were booed off the floor after shooting just 2-of-19 in the final period.
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The game began as a duel between two of the best players in the NBA. Garnett and Bryant seemingly traded shots through the first three quarters, with Garnett scoring 21 to Bryant's 23.
The two All-Stars combined for only three points in the final period, however, with the Lakers' second unit overwhelming the reeling Timberwolves, who were still smarting from losing out to Denver in the bidding for Allen Iverson on Tuesday.
Garnett said he was "a little bit" disappointed when the Wolves failed to deal for Iverson, one of Garnett's favorite players.
They sure needed an Answer in the fourth quarter Wednesday night.
Ricky Davis scored 22 points and Randy Foye added 10 for the Wolves, who couldn't solve Radmanovic and Evans.
Radmanovic scored 11 of his 17 in the fourth and Evans had 10 of his 15 for the Lakers, who won for just the second time in five games without Lamar Odom.
Odom, their second-leading scorer and leading rebounder, went down with a sprained ligament in his right knee on Dec. 12. He is expected to miss at least a month.
NOTES: Davis got a technical foul after lobbying for a foul call after scoring a layup in the first quarter. ... Wolves F Mark Madsen played with a bulky black brace to protect an injured left shoulder. ... Madsen was whistled for a flagrant foul for a hard foul on Evans in the second quarter.
