LOS ANGELES — Despite struggling with ball security for the first three quarters, the Lakers showed in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves what kind of team they can be when they buckle down.
LeBron James was steady after his one-game absence because of his ailing left ankle, finishing with 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds and providing bursts in the second half that helped give the Lakers significant leads.
when the Lakers (36-30) started to take care of the ball and locked in defensively, the Timberwolves (44-21) couldn’t keep up, leading to a 120-109 Lakers win that put them at six games over .500 for the first time this season.
The Lakers only committed one turnover in the fourth’s first 11 minutes before both teams took their rotation players out, with the Lakers leading 120-107.
Davis’ rebounding total was his most with the Lakers and the most by a Lakers player since Dwight Horward’s 26 on Jan. 6, 2013, vs. the Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers haven’t been at least six games over .500 since the end of the 2020-21 season.