The short-handed Los Angeles Lakers allowed 13 unanswered points early in the fourth quarter in a 121-104 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday evening at Staples Center, their sixth loss in their past eight Christmas Day games.
Back-to-back baskets by Corey Brewer and Julius Randle to open the fourth quarter put the Lakers ahead, 84-83, their first lead since early in the third quarter. A 3-point play by Karl-Anthony Towns began Minnesota’s 13-0 run that gave it a 96-84 lead with eight minutes, 56 seconds to play.
Towns had eight points during the run, including a second 3-point play. Jamal Crawford scored the other five points, including making a 3-point basket.
The Lakers cut the deficit to 105-99 with 4:30 left with a 9-2 run that concluded with Josh Hart’s 3-point basket. Former USC standout Taj Gibson responded with a 6-foot hook shot and 3-point basket to put the Timberwolves ahead 110-99 with 3:09 to play.
Minnesota led by at least eight the rest of game, closing the game with an 11-2 run.
Gibson and Jimmy Butler led five Timberwolves in double figures with 23 each. Towns added 21, Crawford 19 in 19:13 off the bench and Andrew Wiggins 16.
Kyle Kuzma led all scorers with 31, the most by a Laker rookie on Christmas Day. Only three rookies since the 1976-77 season had scored more on Christmas Day — LeBron James, 34 in 2003, Bill Cartwright 33 in 1979 and Patrick Ewing 32 in 1985.
Jordan Clarkson added 17, Randle 16 in 18:48 off the bench and Hart 12 for the Lakers (11-21).
Towns had a game-best plus-18 for Minnesota (21-13), while Butler was at plus-17. No Laker had a had a positive plus-minus figure.
The Lakers trailed 29-20 at the end of the first quarter, 53-52 at halftime and 83-80 entering the fourth quarter.
The Lakers played without three starters.
The Lakers announced earlier Monday that forward Brandon Ingram would miss his second consecutive game because of a right quadriceps contusion and left quadriceps tendinitis.
The team announced Sunday rookie guard Lonzo Ball would not play because of a shoulder sprain in his left shoulder suffered during the second quarter of Saturday’s 95-92 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Ball will be reevaluated in one week. Ball was the only Laker to have started all 31 games this season.
Center Robin Lopez missed his third consecutive game because of a right ankle sprain.
The Lakers made 40 of 92 shots, 43.5 percent, including 10 of 30 3- point shots, 33.3 percent. The Timberwolves made 49 of 84 shots, 58.3 percent, including 11 of 32 3-point shots, 34.4 percent. The Lakers made 14 of 20 free throws, 70 percent, Minnesota 12 of 14, 85.7 percent.
The Lakers were out-rebounded 42-37. The Lakers committed 12 turnovers, leading to 23 points by the Timberwolves. Minnesota committed 15 turnovers, leading to 27 Laker points.
The Lakers played on Christmas for the 19th consecutive year. The last time the Lakers didn’t play on Christmas was in 1998 when the owners lockout of the players delayed the start of the season until February.
The loss kept the Lakers tied with the New York Knicks for the most wins on Christmas Day, 22, despite playing 12 fewer games.
The Lakers have played on Christmas 44 times, second-most in NBA history, behind the New York Knicks, who have played on Christmas 52 times. The Lakers are 22-22 on Christmas, while the Knicks are 22-30, including a 105-98 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers earlier Monday.
The Timberwolves played their second Christmas Day game. They lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 112-100, last year.
—City News Service