Laker Ending Isn’t Happy

NBA facts of life, learned by a team trying to scratch out enough victories in November and December to make the games in March and April mean something.

It’s hard to win on the road.

Especially when your defense softens. And your star scores only two fourth-quarter points.

The Lakers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 88-74, Wednesday night at Target Center, a slow bleed of a setback that left Kobe Bryant with few words and Phil Jackson with many, most of them aimed at the referees.

It was a close game, and then it could no longer be described that way, the gradual erosion of the Laker offense preventing a road victory after it mustered only 13 points in the fourth quarter.

Bryant had 26 points after three quarters, but he missed all five of his fourth-quarter shots, two of four free throws, and committed three turnovers.

“I evaluate my performances on how we do as a team,” Bryant said. “It’s about how we execute, and we didn’t do a good job.”

Jackson didn’t blame Bryant -- “They did a good job on him ... they identified and helped out,” the coach said -- and spent most of his postgame shooting in the general direction of NBA referees, in particular Steve Javie, Tim Donaghy and Eli Roe.

Center Chris Mihm scored only two points for a second consecutive game and had three fouls, enough for Jackson to raise questions.

Mihm was called for what Jackson labeled a nonexistent foul 22 seconds into the game. Jackson also singled out an offensive foul called on Mihm while he tried to post up Mark Madsen with 7:44 left in the second quarter.

“You know that this kid doesn’t have a chance out there playing,” Jackson said. “The referees just give him nothing out there. It’s embarrassing.

“I could see why he can’t get things going. He hasn’t got a chance out there, and I don’t know why. He doesn’t abuse the referees. He doesn’t talk to them. He’s a well-meaning guy. Those kind of calls just take the energy right out of a player.”

Mihm had 20 points and 13 rebounds in a victory Sunday over Denver, but since he has had almost twice as many fouls, seven, as points.

“It’s frustrating because I want to get out on the floor helping the team,” said Mihm, who got his three fouls in 22 minutes Wednesday. “I’m constantly being forced to come to the bench. I’m getting whistles where I don’t know where they’re coming from.”

Otherwise, Kwame Brown had his best night as a Laker and Smush Parker had his worst.

Brown had been averaging six points and 4.8 rebounds before springing for 10 points and 13 rebounds Wednesday. He looked more aggressive and managed to avoid the foul trouble that had been affecting him.

Parker, on the other hand, cooled down considerably, going scoreless on 0-for-4 shooting after averaging 17.8 points over the first four games.

“We missed out on like 20 points [there],” Bryant said. “It was just a tough game for him.”

The Lakers were good, but not so good, the example being the final five seconds of the second quarter.

Devean George scooped up a loose ball fumbled by Kevin Garnett and went almost the length of the court for a layup with 1.3 seconds left until halftime. But the Lakers ignored the defensive end, allowing Wally Szczerbiak to sneak down court and pull down a long lob from Garnett for a layup that beat the halftime buzzer.

The Lakers held Garnett to 10 points through three quarters, but he made all three of his fourth-quarter shots to finish with 17 points and 15 rebounds.

When Bryant was connecting and the defense was stifling, the Lakers took a 31-21 lead on Bryant’s 18-footer with 9:05 left in the second quarter.

From there, the points gradually tilted Minnesota’s direction.

“We didn’t keep hooking,” said Lamar Odom, who scored 15 points. “They kind of jabbed their way off the ropes and put us on the ropes, and we didn’t handle it well tonight.”

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Held back

The string of 30-point games for Kobe Bryant, the NBA’s leading scorer, ended Wednesday night at Minnesota:

*--* OPPONENT, RESULT PTS FGM-FGA at Denver, W 99-97 OT 33 13-28 Phoenix, L 122-112 39 13-26 Denver, W 112-92 37 16-31 at Atlanta, W 103-97 37 15-26 at Minnesota, L 88-74 28 12-26

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