Home Has Never Felt This Odd for Lakers

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the second season.”

Lawrence Tanter started their engines.

Jeffrey Osborne loosened their lungs.

Jack Nicholson darkened his glasses.

The doors were opened Thursday on the Lakers’ home, deadly home. The Minnesota Timberwolves were invited into a place that, for the last three springs, has intimidated hope, extinguished energy and clotheslined Chris Webber.

Riding a 16-game win streak this season, with a 26-5 playoff record in the Phil Jackson era, Staples Center made its first appearance of the postseason.

Um, who rearranged the place?The Lakers lost a game, moved within two games of losing a dynasty, and left 18,997 fans wondering if they had lost their minds.

The final score was Timberwolves 114, Lakers 110, in overtime. The series is now led by the Timberwolves, two games to one.

The numbers don’t begin to describe the nastiness.

The Lakers were outhustled, outsmarted, and amazingly out of their element.

The Lakers rallied to take the lead in the fourth quarter, only to be gang-tackled by Kevin Garnett, while Phil Jackson watched with his hands on his knees.

Kobe Bryant missed a free throw that could have won it with 12 seconds left. The entire Laker team missed an opportunity to steal it in overtime with Garnett on the bench, having fouled out.

In the end, they were beaten by the likes of Anthony Peeler, Joe Smith and Gary Trent.

“We’ve definitely never experienced anything like this in the first round,” said Derek Fisher. “But we’ve lost games in the playoffs before and we know how to fight uphill.”

But this seems more like a mountain.

It was as if the Lakers were playing not at home, but somewhere much different.

Somewhere outside. Somewhere with chain nets and cracked foul lines. A sort of playground where they can never play again if they want to keep playing into June.

And to think, all this happened on a court where some of the greatest playoff moments of recent years have occurred.

Thursday night, those moments were frayed like an old photograph.

This is where, last year against Sacramento, Robert Horry hit The Shot.

But this is where, at the end of the first quarter Thursday, Minnesota’s Troy Hudson twisted down the court and threw in a fallaway three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Timberwolves a 29-24 lead.

This is where, two years ago against San Antonio, Shaquille O’Neal threw the No-Look Pass.

But this is where, early in the second quarter Thursday, Jackson was so frustrated he fielded a no-look lineup that included Jannero Pargo and Brian Shaw at guard and Mark Madsen at center.

This is where, three years ago against Portland, Bryant and O’Neal combined on the memorable ally-oop.

But this is where, throughout much of Thursday, the Lakers were all about alley ball and oops!

For a second consecutive game, they couldn’t handle Minnesota’s full-court pressure.

The Timberwolves didn’t so much steal the ball as steal the Lakers’ energy, leaving them drained and confused while running a triangle that looked more like a stop sign.

For a second consecutive game, they also couldn’t handle Garnett, who had 33 points and 14 rebounds.

Every superstar needs a coming-out party in the postseason, and this may finally be time for “the Big Ticket.” On a night when scalpers were making a killing, he was a toughest seat in town.

Horry can barely guard him. The Laker offense can rarely pass around him.

The worst moments for the Lakers, though, were not caused by the Timberwolves. They were caused by the Lakers.

Through three quarters, O’Neal and Bryant had made only a third of their shots, while the Lakers’ leading scorer was Fisher. But it was Fisher who had difficulty fighting through constant picks that allowed enough open shots that the Timberwolves were shooting 52% at the time.

With 4:29 left in the third quarter and his team trailing by 11, it was Fisher who also best symbolized the Laker problems.

He walked past the courtside seats opposite the Laker bench. He stopped in a walkway. He took a deep breath. He walked back toward the court.

And he pounded his fist on a press row telephone. Calling 911, indeed.

Scary that this could happen at the Target Center. Much scarier that this could happen at a place where the Timberwolves were supposed to be the targets.

This was not the same Staples Center were the Lakers had won 33 of 43 games this year, including two “road” games against the Clippers.

The Lakers get such good feelings from this place that on Thursday they didn’t even pay it the usual morning visit.

While it was suggested to Jackson that they change their routine and hold the shootaround at Staples instead of their El Segundo training facility, Jackson felt it unnecessary.

“We feel good about playing in this building,” said Jackson. “One of my coaches said they thought we should have shot downtown today. But I feel comfortable [in El Segundo].”

Today, one suspects, he’s not feeling so comfortable anywhere.

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Bill Plaschke can be reached at bill.plaschke@latimes.com.