Odd Starting Times Test Them

It was 8:40 p.m., Central time, on a weeknight when the Timberwolves and Lakers started Game 2 of the series, making it hard for the home team to sell tickets (thanks, TNT).

It was after midnight Thursday before the teams got out of Staples Center after Game 3 (thanks, TNT).

It was 10:30 Sunday morning when everyone had to be there before Game 4 (thanks, ABC).

Said Minnesota Coach Flip Saunders: “This series, we’re testing every possible starting time that’s available. That’s the one thing we are doing.”

Game 5 is Tuesday at 8:40 p.m. Central time again. This time the Timberwolves may just sell out, school night or not.

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The Timberwolves are not only getting a surprising contribution from Troy Hudson, who has almost doubled his regular-season average, but from backup center Marc Jackson.

Jackson had been a bust in Minnesota. He broke in with a big rookie season for the Golden State Warriors, then left after barely playing in his second season because of a contract squabble.

“Marc’s strength is his ability to play on the perimeter ... shoot the 15-foot jump shots and that’s one of the things, with Shaquille [O’Neal, who stays back] that we can do and have done a lot,” Saunders said. “And there’s no question when your point guard is as aggressive as Troy has been, it gives openings for your big people....

“The one positive for us, our second- and third-best players all year, Wally [Szczerbiak] and Rasho [Nesterovic], they really haven’t had a great series to this point.

“If we get those guys going ... “

The bad news for the Timberwolves was it didn’t happen Sunday.

Or was that the good news?

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Led by O’Neal’s 13 offensive rebounds, the Lakers scored 29 second-chance points to the Timberwolves’ two. That’s a difference that the Timberwolves aren’t used to giving up.

“We’re the third-best defensive rebounding team in the league,” said Saunders, “ ... so [the Lakers] took a positive and made it a negative.”

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Timberwolf General Manager Kevin McHale, refusing to join in the uproar about the officiating of Game 3: “It’s a losing battle when you’re dealing with the official. Just like the pen is mightier than the sword, the whistle is mightier than the mouth.”