Los Angeles Lakers Dominate the Great Lakes’ T-Wolves Again
By Matt Miller
Feb 28, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) pumps his fist in the second half of the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Staples Center. Lakers won 116-94. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Lakers have won 21 straight games against the Minnesota TimberWolves. I want to call it a recent manifestation of a relocation curse. The Lakers, formerly of Minneapolis—the land of 10,000 Lakes—absolutely have the current residents of their former region’s number.
Due to its lack of proximity to present consciousness, no one bemoans the Lakers move out West. The Save Our Sonics rallies in Seattle have no apparent relation to Minneapolis. That’s also due to Minneapolis now having a franchise; but comparing the Lakers 11 NBA titles since the move with Minnesota’s current 21 game losing streak screams cruel irony if not a cursed existence.
The Timberwolves are not the team this year or last year that they could have been due to injuries. They’d be vying for a playoff spot if it wasn’t for significant injuries on their roster. But there’s nothing they can do to change that. They lost 116-94 behind Kobe’s 33 points and 52 points from the Lakers bench. Minnesota is out of the playoff hunt again, and now their losing streak against the Lakers is legally able to drink. Ok, it is 21 games not 21 years, but you get the picture.
Feb 28, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio (9) guards Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) in the second half of the game at the Staples Center. Lakers won 116-94. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
In the 90 games that the T-Wolves and the Lakers have played dating back to their first meeting in 1989, the Lakers have won 69 of them. And this particular streak dates back to a March 18th game in 2007 that the Lakers won at home 109-102. 2007 doesn’t seem like that long ago, but one glance at the box score seems like NBA pre-historic era compared to he Lakers roster now.
Kobe scored 50 points in the win. No surprise there. Three of the other four starting Lakers combined for 33 points. Those surprising starters were Luke Walton, Smush Parker, and Kwame Brown. Walton had 11 assists, and Parker shot 80% from the field! In the road jerseys Kevin Garnett had a typically stellar 26 points and 15 boards. However he was not the leading scorer for Minnesota, it was Ricky Davis with 33 points. And Lakers great Mark Madsen played 15 minutes without a field goal attempt, but for the T-Wolves.
It’s been an NBA eternity since then, and Kevin Garnett was released from NBA purgatory in Minnesota only to be replaced by Kevin Love, and a roster that has been accused of purposely being very white. The Lakers rebuilt, and retooled again, and are now struggling to get in the top 8 of the conference. But there is some consistency for Lakers fans (and T-Wolves fans) that the NBA world hasn’t completely turned on its head—the Lakers beat the Timberwolves. . .again.
After relocating out of the area, the Lakers obviously know all of Minnesota’s strengths and weaknesses and are using them against the cursed T Wolves. Cursed as they are Minnesota tries to replace the most famous franchise in the sport’s history. The Lakers are working on closing in on the Celtics total of NBA titles, but Minnesota just wants one title since the Lakers left. But in the meantime the Laker’s relocation curse victims would settle for one measly win against the league’s best mediocre team.
LA Sports Hubsters, Isn’t Winning NBA Titles Awesome?