Sunday: vs. L.A. Lakers, 6 p.m. (FSN). Monday: at Houston, 7 p.m. (FSN). Wednesday: vs. Indiana, 7 p.m. (FSN). Friday: at New Jersey, 6:30 p.m. Saturday: vs. Houston, 7 p.m.

Player to watch: Kobe Bryant, Lakers OK, so he's in a slump -- he hasn't reached 40 points in two weeks, not since he did so in four consecutive games -- but Sunday's visit to Target Center still is the season's first. He and the Lakers won't return until March 9.

Voices "Boxers or briefs?" — Kevin Love's tweet moments before Shaquille O'Neal ended TNT's Thursday broadcast by dancing off the set at 1:30 a.m. wearing only a sport coat and his boxer-briefs. He promised to wear his undies on set if Blake Griffin didn't outplay Love in L.A. "I'm a man of my word," Shaq said. Love's dramatic buzzer-beating three-pointer beat the Clippers nine days ago.

JERRY ZGODA