As the third quarter turned to the fourth quarter, rarely-used Minnesota big Luka Garza flipped the ball into the bucket just before the buzzer.
The play came after another turnover, a string of mistakes increasingly maddening, increasingly propping open the door against the severely underhanded Timberwolves.
Last week, Minnesota lost Karl-Anthony Towns to a meniscus tear. Sunday, they played without Rudy Gobert and without Towns’ replacement in the starting five, Kyle Anderson.
And after the Garza basket, the Lakers entered the fourth quarter trailing by one, again looking like a team allergic to good vibes and real momentum.