Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Kobe Bryant scored 26 points, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 98-86 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Staples Center.
Pau Gasol added 18 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for the Lakers, who have won 10 in a row at home to improve to 13-1 as the host this season. Andrew Bynum had 14 points and nine rebounds, while Trevor Ariza posted 14 points for LA, which has also won three straight and six of seven.
"We could have played better," Lakers forward Lamar Odom said. "This is a team we should have run the score up, but we're not playing the right way."
Al Jefferson had 20 points and 13 rebounds to pace the Timberwolves, who dropped their ninth straight and fourth straight since Kevin McHale took over as head coach. Craig Smith added 18 points and eight rebounds, while Ryan Gomes had 13 points in the loss.
"We were in a great position to win, I just missed a lot of shots," Jefferson said. "They weren't falling for me tonight. We made turnovers, but we were in a great position to win."
Tied at 57 midway through the third, LA closed on a 12-5 run, thanks to five points apiece from Luke Walton and Jordan Farmar, to take a 69-62 lead into the fourth.
The Lakers scored five straight points, with three points from Bynum, to take a 76-66 lead with 8:37 left in the game. The T'Wolves came to within six after Sebastian Telfair hit a couple free throws less than a minute later, but they didn't get closer than that for the remainder of the game.
"We held them under 100 points, and we improved on turnovers," said Lakers head coach Phil Jackson. "We're not going on those runs like we have. It doesn't seem like our quickness is there."
Bynum's layup with 2:17 left in the first put LA up seven, but Minnesota scored the last five points of the opening quarter to cut the deficit to 20-18 heading into the second.
An 8-0 Timberwolves run capped by Smith's dunk put the visitors up 28-25, but the Lakers used a 11-3 burst to forge ahead 36-31. Thanks to 10 points from Bryant, Ariza and Gasol, LA lead 42-37 at halftime.
