Lakers 100, Timberwolves 89

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kobe Bryant had to smile when asked why he didn't look to score in the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

”I'm sabotaging the game, man,” he said, drawing laughter from the assembled media.

Bryant referred to the late-season game in Sacramento when, in a similar situation, his motives were questioned.

Nobody was questioning them Tuesday night.

Bryant scored all 22 of his points in the second half, and Shaquille O'Neal survived Minnesota's Hack-a-Shaq tactics for 22 points, 17 rebounds and four blocked shots in the Lakers' 100-89 victory over the Timberwolves for a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Game 4 in the best-of-seven series will be Thursday night. Earlier that day, Bryant is scheduled for a court appearance in Eagle, Colo., when a trial date is expected to be set on his sexual assault case.

The series returns to Minnesota for Game 5 on Saturday.

After missing both shots he tried in the first half, Bryant went 5-of-10, including two 3-pointers, and made 10 of 11 from the foul line.

Bryant missed the only shot he attempted in the first half April 4 in Sacramento, and finished with eight points in a 102-85 loss. His shot selection had been criticized after he went 23-of-72 in his previous three games, and some thought he was sending his teammates and coaches a message.

That seems like forever ago as the Lakers bear down on a possible fourth championship in five years.

”I thought he hurt himself on the very first shot he took,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. ”He was flexing his knee after he took that shot. I knew he was a little bit upset or unsettled by it. I didn't try to force the action on him; we were good enough offensively and I knew he would fight through it.”

Gary Payton scored 14 points and Devean George added eight in the first half to pick up the slack. Payton finished with 18 points and nine assists; George added 12 points; and Karl Malone had 11 points, six rebounds and five assists.

”You've just got to sit back and survey the situation,” Malone said of Bryant's reticence to shoot in the first half.

”They did a good job defensively,” Bryant said. ”They were just crowding me and trapping me every time I came off a pick and roll or when I was in transition.

”We were playing so well as a team — we had a nice lead. There's no reason for me to try to push through it or force shots.”

The Lakers led 44-35 at halftime, but with Wally Szczerbiak outscoring them 14-8, the Timberwolves moved within two points late in the third quarter.

The Lakers responded with a 19-7 run for an 85-72 lead midway through the final period. Szczerbiak scored to make it an 11-point game before Bryant made two 3-pointers to put the Lakers on top 91-74.

The Timberwolves surged in the waning minutes, getting as close as seven points, but the 17-point deficit was too much to overcome.

”It turned into a free throw shooting exhibition and we survived it,” Jackson said.

O'Neal was 6-for-12 and the Lakers 17-for-26 from the foul line in the fourth quarter. Overall, O'Neal was 8-of-22 and his team was 25-of-43.

The Timberwolves, meanwhile, were 12-for-14.

”They shot triple the free throws we did,” Szczerbiak noted.

”We'll foul Shaq 50 times, if that's what it takes,” Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders said.

”If he fouls me 40 times, I'd probably only go to the line 15,” O'Neal replied.

O'Neal's anger seemed to grow with each foul, and he stared down the Minnesota bench while leaving the game in the final minute.

Kevin Garnett led the Timberwolves with 22 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, but the NBA's MVP went 16 1/2 minutes between field goals in the second half and fouled out in the last minute.

”I didn't play well at all,” he said. ”My mentality was more defensive tonight. I tried to stay active as much as possible, but I got a couple of fouls, and that made me a little stagnant.”

Szczerbiak scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half.

Sam Cassell had 18 points in 26 minutes. He was limited to seven minutes in the second half and one in the fourth quarter by the back spasms and hip problems which held him to 43 seconds in Game 2.

”It was a struggle from the beginning,” he said. ”It won't get better until after the season. It's the hand I've been dealt, I've got to play it. I can't throw it in.”

Latrell Sprewell also scored 18 points, but 12 came in the last 4 1/2 minutes — after the outcome had been decided.

Notes: Payton outscored the Timberwolves 12-4 by himself to give the Lakers an 18-13 lead, and they were on top the rest of the way. … Bryant hadn't gone scoreless in the first half of a playoff game since 1998. … O'Neal finished with 1,768 free throws attempted in playoff games, the most in NBA history. His first pushed him past Michael Jordan.