wolves/nba

 
           === Lakers try to maintain supremacy over Timberwolves ===
 
 (Sports  Network)  - The  Los Angeles  Lakers saw  a three-game winning streak
 snapped on Wednesday, but will try to get back on track Friday night when they
 visit  the Minnesota  Timberwolves, a  team the  Lakers have  owned in  recent
 history.
 
 The  Lakers have won 19 in a row against the Timberwolves and 10 of their last
 11  in Minnesota. L.A. is unbeaten in nine straight at Minnesota and last lost
 in the Twin Cities on Mar. 6, 2007.
 
 The  Lakers started  a six-game road swing  with a 92-86 setback in Phoenix to
 the  Suns. They  held a 10-point lead  to start the final quarter, but watched
 the Suns wins the final frame, 29-13.
 
 "We  just didn't score. We only had 13 points in the quarter," said head coach
 Mike  D'Antoni.  "I thought  we had some  open shots and  we didn't knock them
 down.  We  missed some foul shots,  we had like  six or seven turnovers in the
 fourth quarter."
 
 Wednesday  marked the return to Phoenix for two-time MVP Steve Nash, who spent
 the  previous seven seasons on the Suns. Nash had 11 points and two assists in
 the loss.
 
 Kobe  Bryant just  missed  out on  his fourth  straight  game with  10-or-more
 assists.  He  had nine  helpers and  17 points.  During the three-game winning
 streak, Bryant only averaged 16.3 ppg, but dished out 13 apg.
 
 Despite the setback to the Suns, Bryant wasn't too dismayed after the loss.
 
 "This  is  not like it was  earlier in the  year, this is a little different,"
 Bryant said. "We're playing well. I mean, they got back in the game, they made
 some  good shots  and they ended up  winning the game tonight, but I'm not too
 concerned about it."
 
 The  Timberwolves  are struggling badly  with five straight losses coming into
 Friday's game.
 
 Head  coach  Rick Adelman  returned to the  bench for the  first time in three
 weeks  Wednesday after  being away to tend  to his sick wife. He couldn't help
 them  topple  the Los Angeles  Clippers, who  won 96-90 without All-Star guard
 Chris Paul.
 
 The Wolves won the turnover battle, but were outrebounded, 45-38.
 
 "We  are not as  big as they are," Adelman said. "We had (Dante Cunningham) on
 (DeAndre)  Jordan and  he just jumped over  him. We talked at halftime that if
 you know a guy is that long, you are not going to win the jumping contest, you
 are going to lose that battle."
 
 The Timberwolves have battled more injuries than most teams. Kevin Love, Chase
 Budinger  and  Brandon Roy are still  out, but Nikola Pekovic and Alexey Shved
 both  returned  against the Clippers.  Pekovic had  17 points and 12 rebounds,
 while Shved netted 12 points.
 
 02/01 10:41:44 ET