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LeBron James (23) drives to the basket against the Timberwolves’ Jarred Vanderbilt during Tuesday night’s game at Staples Center. James had 25 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists and the Lakers took control in the fourth quarter to grab a 137-121 victory.
LOS ANGELES » It would be the slightest crack LeBron James’ warming MVP campaign if voters were watching the fourth quarter of a largely forgettable game: The Lakers took their first double-digit lead of the night early on, when the 36-year-old was sitting on the sideline.
It’s certainly not an intuitive concept for a Lakers roster that has been chipped away by injury and COVID-19 protocols: How are they winning without stretching James to the limit?
The answer: The bench has been punching well above its weight.
That was reinforced in the second half of a 137-121 shootout with Minnesota, the Lakers’ third straight win out of All-Star break that has proven to be a launching pad for the second half of the season. Montrezl Harrell tied a teambest mark of 25 points, including a screaming finish on a fourth-quarter dunk that helped put another game to bed for the Lakers without Anthony Davis, Marc Gasol or Alex Caruso.
Against the last-place Timberwolves (9-31), the Lakers’ win at Staples Center
could best be considered taking care of business: They finished 3-0 in the regular season against slumping Minnesota. It was the second-highest scoring performance by the home team this season.
The Lakers’ bench depth is far from a secret: Entering Tuesday night’s game, the team was averaging 40.3 points off the bench, good for No. 4 in the NBA. And any unit with Harrell, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, is bound to hit hard on offense.
But while Harrell continued a recent torrent that has seen him shooting (30 for 41) out of the All-Star break, he’s not been alone: Kyle Kuzma had his fifth straight double-digit scoring game (16 points), sprinting the floor with the hustle of a wideout, while Talen Horton-Tucker had another strong game walking the tightrope of back-up point guard (16 points, 4 assists).
As he is wont to do, James still piled up his stats: He finished with his fifth triple-double of the season, with 25 points, 12 assists and 12 rebounds. As good as he was, there was a telling number on the box score: During James’ 31 minutes, the Lakers were dead even with the Wolves.
Not so comparing the bench units: The Lakers reserves piled up 68 points to 32 from their Minnesota counterparts. It helped that the Lakers enjoyed their second straight strong shooting night from behind the arc, hitting 13 for 26 from the perimeter.
The offensive explosion wiped out a scrappy offensive night from the Timberwolves’ stars: Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards each scored 29 points.
A sleepy start, especially on defense, was evidence of the Lakers’ leg-dragging after playing Monday night in San Francisco. After beating up on Golden State with an evening of attentive defensive possessions, the Lakers relaxed to allow Towns, Edwards and Ricky Rubio (19 points, 12 assists) into the lane mostly when they wished.
The positive part for the Lakers was the lay-up line was a two-way street. The No. 26-ranked defense in the NBA was as soft as advertised.