Vintage Kobe sizzles, fires season-high 38 pts as Lakers trip Timberwolves

LOS ANGELES – Kobe Bryant hit seven three-pointers while scoring a season-high 38 points, and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped their 10-game losing streak with a 119-115 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA on Tuesday night.

Lou Williams scored 20 points for the Lakers, who avoided the longest losing streak in the 16-time champion franchise’s history despite blowing a 16-point lead in the second half. Los Angeles had lost 10 straight for the first time since 1994.

Bryant took charge with a vintage performance in his farewell season, repeatedly scoring from the perimeter in the Lakers’ first win since Jan. 12.

After Minnesota took the lead in the waning minutes, Bryant put the Lakers back ahead with dramatic back-to-back 3-pointers.

He also drained a 19-footer with 26 seconds last to put them up 113-110.

Bryant hit six free throws in the last 16.7 seconds. He scored 14 of the Lakers’ 18 points in the final 5:02, evoking memories of the best years for the third-leading scorer in NBA history.

Andrew Wiggins scored 30 points and led an impressive second-half surge by the Timberwolves, who have lost five straight and 16 of 18. Gorgui Dieng scored 19 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 14 points and nine rebounds.

Wiggins made a turnover with 17 seconds left after Bryant’s big jumper, and Bryant salted away the game at the line amid countless chants of his name from nostalgic fans.

Rookie D’Angelo Russell had 18 points for the Lakers.

The Timberwolves played without injured Kevin Martin, Nikola Pekovic and Kevin Garnett, whose sore right knee robbed him of his last chance to suit up against Bryant during their two parallel decades in the NBA. The Lakers met Garnett’s Celtics in the 2008 and 2010 NBA Finals.

Several Lakers have said they didn’t pay attention to the history behind their streak, but they came out against Minnesota seemingly determined to end it.

Los Angeles roared to a 16-point lead while scoring a season-high 39 points in the second quarter. The surge was led by Bryant and Russell, who was chosen right behind Towns last summer with the No. 2 pick in the draft.

The Lakers still led by 16 late in the third, but Minnesota went ahead on Zach LaVine’s layup with 5:16 to play.

In Houston, James Harden scored 26 points and tied a career-high with 14 assists as the Rockets snapped a three-game skid with a 115-102 win over the Miami Heat.

It was the second time in eight games that Harden has had 14 assists and he’s had 10 or more in two other games in that stretch.

“He plays the game beautifully,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “His skillset I think is underappreciated by a lot of people. People see the scoring, scoring, scoring, but they don’t see that he makes plays for his teammates. They don’t see the passes he makes time and time again.”

Harden knows that it makes the Rockets much better when he’s able to get other people involved on offense.

“It means the defense has pressure on them,” Harden said. “Guys are making shot, guys are getting into a rhythm, getting comfortable and it’s easier for me.”

Houston had a double-digit lead for most of the second half and was up by 10 when Josh Smith scored all of the team’s points in a 7-2 run that pushed the advantage to 104-89 with about five minutes remaining.

In other results, Boston beat New York, 97-89; Toronto turned back Phoenix, 104-97; and Portland swamped Milwaukee, 107-95.