CHARTING THE LEAD: A look at the Lakers’ lead or deficit by the minute

FIRST QUARTER

MINNESOTA 26 LAKERS 25

Highlight reel: The Lakers started with a breathtaking display of power, but it didn’t do much to improve their overall standing. Kobe Bryant pounced on a loose ball and delivered a 360-degree turn and a thunderous dunk that courtside judges scored a perfect 10 (well, except for the judge from Sacramento). Shaquille O’Neal spiked Derek Fisher’s miss through the hoop for two of his 15 points in the opening 10 minutes. And still the Lakers trailed the Timberwolves, who have shed their reputation as first-round pushovers after an overtime victory in Game 3.

Not in the box score: Rick Fox limped to the locker room with 6:37 remaining and did not return to the court, leaving a void on defense that the Lakers would not easily fill. Fox had been doing a credible job on Minnesota’s Wally Szczerbiak, holding him (literally, according to a flustered Szczerbiak) in check for the first three games of the series. Fox strained his left ankle.

Winning number: Minnesota’s 9-0 run to end the quarter.

Wrong number: The Lakers’ 11-for-27 shooting.

Leading scorers: Lakers -- O’Neal 15; Timberwolves -- Kevin Garnett 10, Troy Hudson 9.

Leading rebounders: Lakers -- O’Neal 8; Timberwolves -- Garnett 4.

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SECOND QUARTER

MINNESOTA 45 LAKERS 43

Highlight reel: Hudson got hot (again), making three of five shots from beyond the three-point arc, including two that were conservatively estimated as 25-footers but might have been closer to 30. And to think, Hudson’s season average was a pedestrian 14 points, as many in the basketball world wondered how far the Timberwolves would go with a point guard who looks to shoot first. As good as Hudson was in the quar- ter, the Timberwolves led only by two at halftime.

Not in the box score: The Lakers went a whopping 6 minutes 45 seconds without a point and still managed to stay within striking distance. They had a 33-28 lead after Brian Shaw’s three- pointer with 8:56 left, but trailed, 37-35, after O’Neal hit two free throws with 2:11 remaining. That’s no way to win a fourth consecutive NBA championship.

Winning number: The Lakers held the Timberwolves to seven-for-23 shooting.

Wrong number: The Lakers’ five-for-19 shooting.

Leading scorers: Lakers -- O’Neal 6; Timberwolves -- Hudson 11.

Leading rebounders: Lakers -- O’Neal, Shaw 3; Timberwolves -- Garnett 7.

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THIRD QUARTER

MINNESOTA 74 LAKERS 71

Highlight reel: Another three-pointer from Hudson extended the Timberwolves’ lead to 74-63, and the silence at Staples Center was deafening. Visions of the end danced through the heads of the sellout crowd of almost 19,000. Could the reign really be history? Are the doomsayers right? The Lakers didn’t look good at that point, but Bryant scored on a drive, was fouled and made what could be a series-saving three-point play with 1:20 to go. Mark Madsen tapped in Fisher’s miss and Shaw’s three-pointer with 2.1 seconds remaining kept the Lakers’ momentum rolling.

Not in the box score: Somewhere on the Laker roster there must be a man capable of shutting down Hudson, whose 28 points through three quarters were twice his season average and one more than he’s averaging in the playoffs. This doesn’t bode well for the fourth quarter for the Lakers.

Winning number: The Lakers got 11 of 28 points from their reserves.

Wrong number: The Lakers’ nine second-chance points.

Leading scorers: Lakers -- Bryant 8, O’Neal 6; Timberwolves -- Hudson 8, Garnett 7.

Leading rebounders: Lakers -- Bryant, O’Neal 4; Timberwolves -- Garnett, Szczerbiak, Anthony Peeler 3.

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FOURTH QUARTER

MINNESOTA 97 LAKERS 102

Highlight reel: Garnett clanked two pivotal free throws in the final 16 seconds and Bryant swished two, then two more. The game went to the Lakers for a good many reasons, but those were two (or rather four) that stood out. Once ahead, 88-87-- on Devean George’s jump shot with 4:40 left -- the Lakers stayed there. To be sure, the Timberwolves have taken some of the swagger from the Lakers in this series, but it’s tied up now at two victories apiece with Game 5 Tuesday at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves have never won a Game 5 in their history.

Not in the box score: Fisher sat on the bench for the final 6:34, with Shaw shutting off Hudson and taking away Minnesota’s production from the perimeter. Szczerbiak made a three-pointer but bricked another, and the Timberwolves went almost exclusively to Garnett, their most-valuable-player candidate, down the stretch.

Winning number: For the Lakers, zero points from Hudson.

Wrong number: For the Timberwolves, 13 points from Bryant.

Leading scorers: Lakers -- Bryant 13; Timberwolves -- Garnett 11.

Leading rebounders: Lakers -- O’Neal 8; Timberwolves -- Garnett 5.