Rambis Gets His Ring, Wolves Get Rung

Receiving a rousing standing ovation, former Los Angeles Lakers Assistant Coach and new head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kurt Rambis, got a chance to bask in the limelight as he was finally presented his championship ring. The Lakers then proceeded to pound the T-Wolves much to the delight of the sellout crowd, 104-92 at Staples Center. Kobe Bryant (20 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds) and Pau Gasol (17 points, 20 rebounds, 7 assists) led five Lakers in double figures. Minnesota was led by Al Jefferson (24 points, 13 rebounds) and Ramon Sessions (15 points, 5 assists) off the bench. Former UCLA standout, Kevin Love (7 points, 19 rebounds) had a difficult time finding the range but showed tremendous prowess on the boards with his new, slimmed down stature. Minnesota played the Lakers evenly through 2-1/2 quarters, but as has been the case recently, the Lakers accelerated past the Wolves in the 3rd period, outscoring them 30-14 to take a commanding 86-68 lead into the final stanza.

Ron Artest (16 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals) again displayed his knack on the defensive end, playing aggressively and forcing numerous turnovers. Andrew Bynum (12 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocked shots) and Lamar Odom (13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals) added to the overall defensive effort. Jordan Farmar continued his steady play contributing 8 points, while both Shannon Brown and Sasha Vujacic chipped in 7 points apiece. The pesky T-Wolves showed flashes of brilliance but in the end, the Lakers depth was too much to overcome. Rambis employed a version of the triangle offense and at times, the Wolves seemed to execute better than the tested Lakers. But as the Wolves sank into the middle to protect the paint, the Lakers perimeter players were left wide open. It was a matter of picking your poison and Rambis chose to gamble by leaving the outside shot open. The Lakers converted 8-25 three-point attempts for a satisfactory 32%, but second chance points powered by Gasol’s 8 offensive rebounds proved too much for Minnesota.

Kobe Bryant injured the index finger on his shooting hand, and after x-rays were taken at halftime, it was revealed that he had an avulsion fracture of the first joint. Kobe hurt his hand reaching for a pass as the ball proceeded to ricochet off his fingertip. Bryant immediately clutched his hand in obvious pain and after briefly having the finger taped by Trainer Gary Vitti, soon left the game and headed to the locker room before the first half was over. Ever the warrior, Kobe reappeared after halftime with a soft splint wrapped around his finger and proceeded to play predominantly left-handed. He scored on left-handed hooks, drained a pair of treys and basically shrugged off the injury as a nuisance as he led the team to victory.

Sitting alongside Rambis on the bench were new Assistant Coaches, Reggie Theus and Bill Laimbeer. The Wolves have a long road before they reach respectability, but the starting blocks are in place and they appear to be a player or two short of reaching that goal. It was good to see an old friend back in the confines of Staples Center, where he helped guide the Lakers to multiple championships. That he has surrounded himself with former players as assistants can only bode well for the young T-Wolves. The Lakers now bid farewell to their home friendly schedule and embark on their first meaningful road trip starting with stops in Utah tomorrow and Chicago on Tuesday.