MINNEAPOLIS _ For the record it was the Los Angeles Lakers, not the host Timberwolves, who were playing on the back end of back-to-back games Thursday night at Target Center.
It wasn't obvious.
Looking lethargic from the start, unable to slow down the Lakers for any substantial time through three quarters, the Wolves finally woke up and found a way to beat the Lakers in the fourth, coming back from seven down to start the quarter for a 119-111 victory.
The Wolves, who had their 13-game home winning streak broken by Houston on Tuesday, started another Thursday with the All-Star Game break set to begin on a night when the late, great Flip Saunders was honored pregame.
Jimmy Butler scored 24 points, with nine of them coming in the fourth quarter, including three free throws with 5:25 left that put the Wolves up, 105-103, for good.
Taj Gibson scored a season-high 28 points, including two free throws with about 3 minutes left that put the Wolves up six. Jeff Teague had 20 points and six assists and Jamal Crawford scored 15 off the bench. The victory put the Wolves (36-25) in a virtual tie with San Antonio for third place in the NBA's Western Conference.
Julius Randle led the Lakers with 23 points. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 17 as did Brandon Ingram. Backup center Ivica Zubac came off the bench to score 19 points with 11 rebounds.
The Wolves were down six, Crawford was fouled on an in-bounds play and hit the free throw. On the ensuing possession Tyus Jones calmly hit a 3-pointer. Zubac hit at the other end, then Crawford hit a 3-pointer, making it a one-point game.
Isaiah Thomas scored, but Jones drove and scored to pull the Wolves within 97-96 with 8:47 left. Moments later Jones fed Gorgui Dieng with 8:47 left to give the Wolves a one-point lead.
Back and forth the game went, the lead changing hands.
With 5:25 left Butler hit three free throws for a 105-103 lead. A minute later he hit two more to put the Wolves up three.
Then, with 3:59 left Butler fed Gibson for a hoop and a foul, the three-point play putting the Wolves up 110-104.
The entire first half was succession of momentum swings.
First quarter? The Lakers pushed to an early nine point lead. The Wolves struck back, at one point using an 11-0 run to go up six only to have the Lakers finish the quarter on an 18-8 run to lead by four.
That lead grew as big as 15 on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's slam dunk with 7:11 left in the half, which put the Wolves up 57-42.
Minnesota responded. Towns and Teague had six points and Gibson four in a 20-6 run that pulled the Wolves within 63-62 on Gibson's slam. The Lakers led by three at halftime.
For a brief moment in the third quarter the Wolves grabbed a one-point lead. But the Lakers had energy and the Wolves didn't. Up by two, the Lakers went on a 12-4 run to push the lead back to double figures with 5-plus minutes left in the quarter.
The Lakers were up 12 late in the quarter when the Wolves pulled within seven entering the fourth quarter.
