Madsen Has Key Role in First-Round Series

If the Lord says Mark Madsen, then Kevin Garnett will get Mark Madsen in the first-round NBA playoff series between the Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Maybe the Lord -- Coach Phil Jackson -- could arrange some weakside help between Shaquille O’Neal free throws.

In the meantime, Madsen probably will start and get a decent amount of playing time on the Lakers’ most critical defensive matchup. Garnett, a leading candidate for league MVP, averaged 23 points and 13.4 rebounds during the regular season.

He is rangy, quick and accurate and generally does what he wants.

“I don’t know if anything works against Kevin Garnett,” Madsen said Thursday afternoon, before the Lakers began earnest preparation for the series that starts Sunday in Minneapolis. “A lot of help-side defense. If you get beat, someone’s there.”

In four games against the Lakers, Garnett averaged 21.0 points and made 47.8% of his shots. In Madsen’s two starts against the Timberwolves, Garnett averaged 19 points and was 14 for 38 from the field.

“I think Mark does the same thing every night, and that’s being physical and being active,” Laker guard Derek Fisher said. “I think it can be frustrating.”

As important as Garnett’s points are -- and Jackson believes the Lakers can win with Garnett getting his, as long as Wally Szczerbiak, Troy Hudson and Anthony Peeler aren’t scoring -- as critical for the Lakers is Madsen staying in the game.

In 49 minutes over the last two games against the Timberwolves, both of them Laker wins, most of the minutes spent guarding Garnett, Madsen was called for one personal foul.

“Look at his skills,” Madsen said.

“Here’s a guy who’s about 7 feet tall and he has the skills of a guard. Plus, he’s a warrior out there.”

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The Timberwolves could as easily have had the Portland Trail Blazers, who rolled into the postseason with a loss to the Clippers.

“Don’t nobody really want to deal with Shaq at this time of year,” Garnett told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “But I don’t care. You’ve got to have a no-nonsense attitude and be able to say, ‘Hey, if we play [them], we’re going at them as hard as we’d go at anybody.’ That’s how it’s gotta go. I’ve never been afraid of anybody. I’m not going to be afraid. This team has never been afraid.”

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Thursday traffic on the 405 Freeway delayed O’Neal. He was half an hour late to practice so he missed media availability but was on time for the basketball part of the day.... The playoff roster includes Jannero Pargo, but not Tracy Murray.