Los Angeles @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 25, 2017 ) Minnesota 121, L.A. Lakers 104

The Los Angeles Lakers will be hard-pressed to summon the energy to compete with the host Minnesota Timberwolves when the teams tangle on Monday. Playing without three starters on Sunday, the Lakers took a high-powered Houston squad to double overtime before falling 148-142 in a wild affair.

Four players scored at least 20 points for Los Angeles and three played a minimum of 43 minutes as the team dropped its sixth straight contest since posting a home win over the Rockets on Dec. 20. The Timberwolves, who defeated the Lakers on the road on Dec. 25, also played a road game on Sunday but built a 29-point lead after three quarters and needed just one player - center Karl-Anthony Towns - to spend more than 31 minutes on the court. Jimmy Butler scored 26 points and Towns recorded his NBA-leading 29th double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds while tying a career high with six blocked shots. "Our starters got us off to a great start," Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. "We're still striving to be a 48-minute team. I thought what Jimmy did to get us going at the beginning (was big). I really liked the way he played."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles), FSN North (Minnesota)

ABOUT THE LAKERS (11-24): Lonzo Ball (shoulder) and Brook Lopez (ankle) remained sidelined in Sunday's loss while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was absent and will not be present in Minnesota due to a travel restriction. "It's obviously frustrating, but ... we're short-handed right now and it would've been a lot easier to kind of just pack it in and individually go out and try to put up big numbers until we get healthy or until we get to an easier part of the schedule," coach Luke Walton told reporters after the double-OT loss. "Our guys really came together tonight and really played well for most of the game." Julius Randle made his second straight start after appearing in 33 games off the bench and recorded season highs of 29 points, 15 rebounds and six assists before fouling out in the first overtime.

ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (23-14): Tyus Jones received another start at point guard in place of the injured Jeff Teague (knee) and committed just one turnover in 27 minutes. Minnesota's starting five had only four giveaways, with Butler and Towns each coughing up the ball once. Forward Taj Gibson played 31 turnover-free minutes and continued a hot stretch that has seen him make 33-of-42 shots over a four-game span, including 11-of-13 in the 121-104 win over the Lakers last Monday.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Minnesota is 10-1 at home against Western Conference opponents.

2. Randle is shooting 61 percent from the field and 52 percent from the foul line over his last five games.

3. Gibson and Butler scored 23 points apiece and the Timberwolves shot 58.3 percent in the win over the Lakers on Christmas Day.

PREDICTION: Timberwolves 112, Lakers 101