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.
Anthony Davis (27 points, 25 rebounds, seven steals, five assists and three blocks) dominated the interior, taking advantage of the smaller Timberwolves, who were without their starting big men in Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) and Rudy Gobert (right hamstring).
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.
And 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.
With James and Davis leading the way, all five Laker starters scored at least 13 points.
The Lakers, who turned the ball over 18 times for 26 Timberwolves’ points in the first 36 minutes, entered the fourth trailing 92-91 despite their hot shooting because of their giveaways.
But once they dialed in, they blew the game open, starting the fourth with a 21-4 run to go up 112-96 midway through the quarter after James assisted Austin Reaves (19 points, six rebounds, four assists) on a corner 3-pointer to give the Lakers their largest led of the game.
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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.
Davis’ 10 offensive rebounds also tied a career-high.
The Lakers haven’t been at least six games over .500 since the end of the 2020-21 season.
Anthony Edwards and Naz Reid lead the Timberwolves with 25 points apiece.