Heading home after 104-96 loss in L.A.

Why?

The Timberwolves ended their four-game Western trip tonight with a 104-96 loss to the Lakers that was easily the most spirited game they played since leaving home six days ago.

Leading the Lakers by a bucket with about four minutes left in the third quarter, then committed five of their 19 turnovers tonight and surrendered a 12-0 run that closed out the quarter and basically determined the game.

But at least tonight they were competitive after surrendering 114 points in Sacramento, a franchise-record 152 in Phoenix and 122 in Utah.

In Phoenix, Ryan Gomes went out on the proverbial limb and said you can't win in this league if you allow 150 points.

Or if you allow 120.

But at 104, well, at least you've got a chance, although Kobe Bryant's 22 points and 13 assists and Lamar Odom's four threes ensured the Wolves lost their 12th straight and 18th in the last 19.

Well, if they could only play in Staples Center on a Friday night every time...

Jack was here tonight. So, too, were Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruise (but not together) as well as Leo and Giada.

"The Staples Center is like a Broadway play," Jonny Flynn said. "The lights are dimmed and you see stars like Tom Cruise, Chris Brown and Leo out there. So when you come here, you want to play well."

Well, geez, what if Ah-nold had shown up in Sacramento?

It helped that the Wolves' big guys played well against the Lakers bigs.

Kevin Love had a bounce-back after consecutive three-point games. Playing back in LA, where he played his college ball for that one season at UCLA , he had a 19-point, 11-rebound night while Al Jefferson (14 points) came within one rebound of a double double.

That helped countered Pau Gasol, who had 17 and 14 after fighting tonsillitis this week. Andrew Bynum left in the third quarter because of an Achilles injury and didn't return.

Corey Brewer's franchsie-record streak of consecutive games with a three-pointer made came to an end at 33.

He went 0-for-3 on threes, ending a streak that smashed J.R. Rider's previous club record of 21 and going all the way back to the Golden State game on Jan. 6.

A few other things not related to the game:

Why? For his veteran presence in a locker room that lacks that and probably because David Kahn didn't really want to trade him in the first place, but his contract made the Milicic deal work.

Kahn and Rambis are planning to take a detour home from L.A. on Saturday -- an off travel day for the team back to Minnesota -- for a stop in New Orleans to watch Kentucky and John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins play Wake Forest and lottery prospect Farouq Al-Aminu.

Baylor's Ekpe Udoh -- a possibility with one of the Wolves' other first round picks -- plays in the other New Orleans game.

They're also hoping to catch Evan Turner and Derrick Favors play each other in Milwaukee Sunday afternoon, but Rambis doesn't want to miss a practice for draft scouting, so we'll see if they can pull off a morning practice and still get to Milwaukee for an early afternoon game.