Lakers Return on Target, but Limping Badly : Pro basketball: They break a two-game losing streak in Minnesota’s arena, beating the Timberwolves, 116-108.

So much for the come-back-healthy-after-the-break scenario.

The Lakers didn’t get Vlade Divac back, after all.

They did lose backup point guard Rory Sparrow, though.

With their dwindling resources stretched even thinner, they got 27 points from Sam Perkins, 23 from James Worthy, 22 from Sedale Threatt and 15 in a row from Terry Teagle to ease past the Minnesota Timberwolves, 116-108, Tuesday night.

“That was a big win for us,” Laker Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “This has been a tough place for this team to play.”

Any road victory is big for the Lakers, but this one ended a two-game losing streak in the Target Center.

Driving home the point before the game, Dunleavy showed his players the tape of their last woeful appearance here.

His feeling was, he had to watch it, so why shouldn’t they?

“You want to show the last game, particularly if they beat you the way they beat us, by being physical,” Dunleavy said. “You got to share the pain.”

Thus awakened, the Lakers sped to a nine-point first-quarter lead.

The Timberwolves then turned it around, taking a nine-point second-quarter lead.

The Lakers tied it at halftime, 56-56, setting up the pivotal third quarter.

Midway through it, Dunleavy inserted Teagle in a three-guard lineup.

Teagle, one of the NBA’s great streak shooters, started his third-quarter appearance by making a 20-footer.

Shortly thereafter, he heated up the icy Minnesota night.

In succession, he made a 10-footer, a 17-footer, a driving layup, a 10-footer on which he was fouled and converted the free throw, a 15-footer and a 17-footer.

That gave him 15 points in the quarter and 13 in a row.

On the second play of the fourth quarter, he drove the lane and missed a layup in traffic but got his own rebound and scored. That made it 15 in a row and put the Lakers up, 89-81.

“I’ve done it before,” Teagle said. “I’ve had 17-point, 19-point quarters. I don’t keep up with the points. If I get in rhythm, I can put the ball in the hole.”

Said Timberwolves Coach Jimmy Rodgers: “Teagle is a guy, as long as I’ve known him, if he hits his first shot, he can run off seven or eight. With his size and quickness, he can take a big guy outside and beat him off the dribble, which is what he did against our big lineup. And with a small lineup, he has that good jumping ability. When he’s playing like that, he’s a tough customer.”

The Lakers went up, 102-93, but Minnesota chased them to the wire, closing it to 112-108 with 23 seconds left. But A.C. Green hit a driving dunk against the Minnesota press. Threatt got a layup when the Timberwolves crashed their offensive board and forgot to leave someone back to guard the basket, and the Lakers were safe. In the land of the expansion team, they’re still a power to be reckoned with.

Laker Notes

Vlade Divac’s return has deferred for another two weeks. He hasn’t suffered a setback, but his doctor is advising a cautious course while he gets back in condition. . . . “He has steadily improved,” Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “That’s the good news. “He’s been practicing against Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar). Kareem has been very physical with him, and he hasn’t complained.” . . . Rory Sparrow sprained his right ankle in Monday’s practice. He is expected to miss Thursday’s game at Utah and is listed as day to day. Tony Smith struggled trying to replace him, and Dunleavy used Sedale Threatt for 40 minutes. . . . Besides scoring 27 points, Sam Perkins took a season-high 17 rebounds. He is averaging 21 points and 10.5 rebounds in his last seven games, all at center. “I’m playing a lot of minutes,” he said. “You just have to get a lot of sleep. I’m not ready to get up when it’s time to get up. But it’s fun.” . . . And Perkins, on Divac’s return: “I know I’ll be at the center spot, regardless. He’s not really going to be there for a while. I might as well just face it and keep going.” . . . The loss was Minnesota’s 13th in 14 games. . . . Terry Teagle, on his All-Star break: “I rested. I’m not going to sit here and tell you lies that I worked on my shot. I rested.”

NBA ROUNDUP: Kevin McHale returns to the lineup, but the Boston Celtics still come up short against the San Antonio Spurs, 100-84. C4