LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Zach LaVine grew up a Los Angeles Lakers fan. The first time he saw them play at in person at Staples Center, the Minnesota Timberwolves rookie outperformed everyone — including Kobe Bryant.LaVine scored 18 of his team-high 28 points in the second quarter, and Mo Williams had 25 points and 11 assists to lead the Timberwolves to a 120-119 victory on Friday night. It wasnt sealed until Bryant missed a 3-pointer as time expired.It was really cool coming back here and being able to play here. I was even playing against my childhood idol out there, LaVine said. Im really surprised he missed that shot. That scared me at the end.LaVine, the 13th pick in the draft out of UCLA, played 25 minutes and made 11 of 14 shots. He was the fifth and last player off the bench for the Timberwolves, who snapped a three-game skid.I always wanted to come back and put a show on, he said. I know a lot of UCLA fans were here, and I know a lot of them are mad I came out (for the draft). But Im a confident person and I like proving people wrong.I was just in the flow and running the floor hard. When any player feels like its going in, the hoop looks big. I was just throwing it up and it was going in.Coach Flip Saunders hasnt treated LaVine with kid gloves just because of his rookie status, or his high draft status. The tough love Saunders has shown him has toughened him up.Hes going to coach me hard and be on my butt, but thats because he wants me to be great. Thats all that I want from myself as well, LaVine said. My dad told me always told me: If the coaches stop talking to you, thats when they aint worried about you anymore.Bryant finished with 26 points on 10 for 18 shooting, and Nick Young scored 13 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. Wesley Johnson had 19 points against his former club, and Jeremy Lin had 18 points and 11 assists in the Lakers fourth straight loss. Seven of their 13 defeats this season have been by seven points or fewer.Frustration and anger is going through my head right now, coach Byron Scott said. We werent ready to play. There was a lack of focus. We looked at them like they were inferior to us.You cant play good hard-nosed basketball one night, then look at the opponent the next night and say, Oh, we have an easy one. It doesnt work that way in this sport.Thaddeus Young had 22 points for the T-Wolves, who have been hit by a recent rash of injuries including Kevin Martins broken right wrist and Ricky Rubios sprained left ankle. Martin, the teams leading scorer, is sidelined six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery. The club has gone is 1-3 in his absence. Rubio missed his ninth straight game.Saunders used his eighth starting lineup in eight games and his 10th in 14 overall. Andrew Wiggins, the top pick in this years draft and the only player to start in every game, had three points in 30 minutes.The Timberwolves, who trailed by as many as 11 points late in the first quarter, pulled ahead 101-100 on a 3-pointer by reserve forward Robbie Hummel with 8:07 to play. Nick Young then hit a 20-footer, a 3-pointer, two free throws and back-to-back dunks — in a 3:26 span — to put the Lakers ahead 115-107 with 5:03 remaining.Williams consecutive 3-pointers tied it at 115 with 3:02 left. Bryant missed both free throws at the other end, and Thaddeus Young banked in a short hook shot to put Minnesota ahead 119-117.Bryant tied it with a fade away 8-footer over Gorgui Dieng with 5.6 seconds on the clock before Young made one of two free throws after getting fouled by Nick Young with 2.8 seconds to go.Johnson inbounded the ball to Bryant, who had a perfect look from the top of the 3-point arc, but the shot fell short.Despite LaVines 7-minute shooting spree in the second quarter, Los Angeles led 58-54 at halftime with all of their starters except Jordan Hill getting at least nine points.Bryant helped the Lakers build a 30-23 lead through one quarter with 12 points and three steals.___TIP-INSTimberwolves: They won three of the four meetings with the Lakers last season, including a 113-90 decision at Los Angeles in November that ended a string of 22 consecutive losses to them. ... Reserve C Ronny Turiaf, who spent his first three NBA seasons with the Lakers, missed his 11th game because of a sore right hip.Lakers: Bryant, who missed 76 games last season because of injuries, is 171 points away from surpassing Michael Jordan for third place on the NBAs career scoring list.UP NEXTTimberwolves: At Portland on Sunday.Lakers: Host Toronto on Sunday.
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Cory Harkey Rams Jersey . Paul, MN (SportsNetwork.SURPRISE, Ariz. - Texas Rangers catcher Geovany Soto had arthroscopic surgery Saturday to remove a small bone from his left foot. Soto had the surgery a day after returning to Texas to be examined by a specialist for what the team had called an Achilles issue. Doctors discovered a bone putting pressure on a flexor tendon. The Rangers said the procedure went well and that the expectation is their starting catcher should be ready for the start of the regular season. "He should be full-go in approximately three weeks. That was part of the reason he had the procedure now," assistant general manager Thad Levine said. "His other choice was to effectively try to get through the season with a series of injections." Soto is expected to be back at spring training camp by Monday. He will be in a walking boot for about 10 days before resuming baseball activities. In the off-season, Texas also signed J.P. Arencibia, whom manager Ron Washington said will get the bulk of time in drills while Soto is out. Levine said the bone removed from Sotos foot is a bone that not every person has, and that the tendon being pressed "t;effectively controls the use of your toes.dddddddddddd" If Soto is fully back to speed in three weeks, he would still then have two more weeks before the season opener March 31 at home against Philadelphia. Soto, the NL Rookie of the Year in 2008 for the Chicago Cubs, was mainly a backup in Texas last season to A.J. Pierzynski, who left in free agency. Soto was the first of 168 major league free agents during the off-season to agree to a big league contract, with a $3.05 million deal in November. Soto was the primary catcher for Rangers ace Yu Darvish the second half of the season. Soto hit .245 with nine homers and 22 RBIs in 54 games last season. Arencibia spent the first 3 1/2 seasons of his career with Toronto. He hit .194 with 21 homers and 55 RBIs in 138 games last season. Notes: LHP Derek Holland is off crutches and starting to walk on a treadmill, but remains in Texas doing rehab after microfracture surgery on the left knee that he injured when he was tripped by his dog on the stairs at his home this winter. ... RF Alex Rios got a second day off in a row because of his sore big left toe.
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