(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong).
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Almost 2½ hours before the Lakers’ season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday at Staples Center, Bryant shot endlessly from various spots along the perimeter. Before moving to Los Angeles in 1960, the purple and gold called Minneapolis home for their first 13 seasons – hence the iconic name that’s stuck despite the team’s departure for Southern California.
NOTES: Interim coach Sam Mitchell said he was trying to keep his club focused two days after the death of Timberwolves president and coach Flip Saunders.
The Lakers wore gray T-shirts during pre-game warmups with the words “Flip” on the front. Williams, though, couldn’t convert a runner in the lane. Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Ricky Rubio and Karl-Anthony Towns are all highly skilled players who give the Timberwolves a bright future.
In an interview with NBC Los Angeles in September, World Peace said, “I don’t know about “teaching” more than just showing [Randle], giving advice and taking him through different scenarios – different things I’ve been through and different things I’ve seen on the court”. Scott described that season as “a circus everywhere we went”. Both wore warmup shirts honoring the coach. Williams hit a 3-pointer with 31 seconds left to trim Minnesota’s lead to one point. Nine times out of 10, he hits that.
Granger averaged a career-best 25.8 points a game in the 2008-09 season for the Pacers and made the All-Star team. Wednesday’s 9:30 p.m. tipoff will mark the first time in the common draft era (since 1966) that the top two picks will make their National Basketball Association debuts in the same game.
The Los Angeles Lakers are in the rebuilding process also despite Kobe Bryant entering his 20th season and probably his last.
Bryant’s back, ready or not. He scored five points and handed out four assists in 22 minutes against the Lakers. The Lakers have never missed the playoffs three straight seasons. He was everything for us and I think he really helped us today. “It’s a routine play for me”. If Randle can develop into a consistent double-double threat the Lakers could a key piece to their return to glory. The young player said World Peace has been helpful, and Lakers coach Byron Scott even took notice.
This game is tough to cap given the Saunders situation.
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“It’s one way to show tribute to him”, Newton said in a telephone interview from Los Angeles. National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver attended the game and addressed the Timberwolves in their locker room beforehand.
