LOS ANGELES – Sunday afternoon, the Timberwolves' matchup with the Lakers appeared to get easier when the Lakers announced LeBron James would miss the game because of flulike symptoms.
It appeared to become even easier after Anthony Davis left the game in the first quarter because of an eye injury and didn't return.
Even though the Wolves made it hard on themselves in the third quarter, they did as they should and took care of the shorthanded Lakers 127-117 behind a 31-point, 11-rebound performance from Sixth Man of the Year contender Naz Reid. The victory moved the Wolves back into a tie with Denver for first place in the Western Conference with four games remaining.