and it was going in.Coach Flip Saunders hasnt treated LaVine with kid

MINNEAPOLIS -- Kevin Love, Nikola Pekovic and the Minnesota Timberwolves were ganging up on Kevin Durant, and a rare three-game losing streak for the Oklahoma City Thunder was just over the horizon. Durants sidekick was on the bench in street clothes, leaving him on an island again. Frustrated from a poor start, Durant came out swinging in the fourth quarter and knocked the Timberwolves out with a fury. Barking at and mean-mugging the feisty Wolves, Durant scored 23 of his season-high 48 points in the fourth quarter and hit the winner with 4 seconds to play to rally the Thunder from 13 points down to a 115-111 victory on Saturday night. "I just hear a lot of stuff and I just wanted to come through for my team in the fourth quarter," Durant said, an apparent shot at some trash talk he heard from the Wolves bench. Durant went 7 for 11 from the field and hit four 3-pointers in the final quarter to help the Thunder rebound from two straight losses at home. Love played the entire second half and finished with 30 points, 14 rebounds and five assists for the Wolves. But he missed four free throws in the final 27 seconds to let this one slip away. The last three came when he was fouled on a 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds to go and the Wolves down two. After Durant hit a step-back jumper from 18 feet right over Dante Cunninghams outstretched arm to give the Thunder a 113-111 lead, Love was fouled on a 3-pointer by Kendrick Perkins. Perhaps a little gassed from the work load, Love missed the first two free throws and his on-purpose miss on the third one didnt hit the rim, giving Oklahoma City the ball. "I was more upset about the first one I missed," Love said. "I left it short. I think they were flat and short. There was no real air under them. Just missed them." Durant knocked down two more free throws, and the two stars embraced after the final horn, a thrilling duel just finished. Durant and Love each got off to slow starts for the game, combining to shoot 8 for 24 in the first half. But they gave everyone their moneys worth in the fourth quarter. The Thunder trailed 90-77 in the fourth before Durant, who also had seven rebounds and seven assists, went off. The Thunder had let two fourth quarter leads slip away at home this week thanks to opposing defences swarming Durant and forcing other players to beat them. Durant sure got involved Saturday, scoring six of Oklahoma Citys first seven buckets in the fourth to get the Thunder going. "I was hanging my head a little bit in the first half and my teammates got on me about it," Durant said. "So I just wanted to keep my head high no matter what and stay aggressive and I was able to hit a few." The last four shots of that flurry were 3s, and he struck a pose and stared at the Wolves bench after the final one cut Minnesotas lead to 97-96 with 7 minutes to play. The two superstars traded haymakers the rest of the way. In one stirring sequence, Love hit a layup, Durant drilled a 3 and Love hit one of his own for a 97-93 Wolves lead with just over seven minutes to play. Durant came right back with yet another 3 and again woofed at the Wolves bench. Love tied it on a hook shot over Serge Ibaka and then scored on a drive to the hoop that tied it again, at 111, with 27 seconds to play. But he missed the free throw that came with the foul, opening the door for Durants cold-blooded response. "The special ones can have a poor shooting night and come down at the end of the game and make four or five to win the game," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "Thats how theyre wired because theyre great players. He loves to inspire his teammates with his play." Derek Fisher scored 13 points, and Ibaka had 12 points for Oklahoma City, which outscored Minnesotas bench 40-5. Pekovic had 31 points and 11 rebounds, and Ricky Rubio had 13 points, 10 assists and five steals, but missed six of his final seven shots. "Ill take K-Love in that situation no matter what," Wolves forward Corey Brewer said. "He missed them tonight. Next time hell make them." NOTES: Kevin Martin had 17 points and six rebounds for Minnesota. Oklahoma City committed 22 turnovers, but scored 24 points off 15 miscues by Minnesota. ... Timberwolves first-round draft choice Shabazz Muhammad will start a four-game stint with Iowa in the NBA Development League on Sunday. Paul Krause Jersey . Claude Noel will be the man behind the bench when the team hits the ice of the MTS Centre to begin its inaugural season. Dalvin Cook Jersey . Jesus Navas bookended yet another huge home win for City by scoring after 14 seconds and again in second-half stoppage time, with Sergio Aguero also netting in each half to add to an own goal by Sandro and a brilliant strike by Alvaro Negredo. http://www.vikingssale.com/Vikings-Kirk-Cousins-Draft-Jersey/ . -- Two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana agreed Tuesday to a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles as he tries to come back from the second major operation on his left shoulder. Alan Page Jersey . Bale has had a successful debut season in Spain, and Ancelotti appears ready to reward him with a starting role on Saturday. Ancelotti says "Gareth had some problems at the beginning (of the season) but when he found good physical condition he scored a lot of goals, he had a good impact on the team. Fran Tarkenton Jersey . -- Barry Bonds is all set to return to the San Francisco Giants.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 onee.dddddddddddd 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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