Even with a bout of the stomach flu, Kobe Bryant was too much for the NBA's worst team.
Bryant scored 15 of his 20 points in the first half to help Los Angeles jump out to a big lead, and the Lakers cruised the rest of the way to a 116-95 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.
Trevor Ariza added 15 points and five rebounds, and Bryant also had five assists for the Lakers, who dropped Minnesota to 2-14.
Al Jefferson had 12 points and 12 rebounds, but shot just 5-for-14 from the field. The Timberwolves have lost their last three games by a combined 65 points.
A sparse crowd braved a winter snow storm to make it to the game, and the weather even wreaked havoc with the Lakers' short travel plans.
The Lakers stayed in a hotel across the street from the Target Center, but the bus that was supposed to pick them up and bring them to the arena was late because the poor road conditions created a traffic snarl in the city.
About half the Lakers chose to walk over on their own, while coach Phil Jackson, Bryant and others waited for the late bus.
A reporter jokingly suggested to acting head coach Jerry Sichting before the game that the Wolves were playing games with their opponents from sunny California, but even a little help from the skies couldn't get them their third win of the season.
Bryant came out gunning from the start, scoring 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting in the first quarter. He appeared to be a little less explosive than his usual self, until he threw down a 360-degree dunk off a fast break late in the second quarter.
The Lakers were up by 16 by that point, and Bryant didn't even need to play the fourth quarter as they snapped a two-game losing streak.
In Minnesota, rebuilding has been painful - literally.
The Timberwolves have been banged up all season, which certainly hasn't helped matters in what already was expected to be a difficult year after Kevin Garnett was dealt to Boston. Randy Foye (knee) and Theo Ratliff (knee) have been out for weeks, while Rashad McCants (knee) and Mark Madsen (shoulder) have recently returned from injuries.
Marko Jaric missed the game with a foot injury, leaving the Wolves with Sebastian Telfair as the only healthy point guard.
Even their coach hasn't been able to stay healthy. Randy Wittman missed the game and will be out indefinitely when he undergoes back surgery on Wednesday. Sichting will fill in until Wittman returns, though the team has not said when that will be.
Notes: Lakers C Andrew Bynum did not dress with the same illness Bryant had and spent part of the afternoon at a Minneapolis hospital to receive IV fluids. ... Lakers Ronny Turiaf (concussion) and Kwame Brown (ankle, knee) did not make the trip. ... Wolves F Antoine Walker played after being listed as a game time decision with an ankle injury.
