DANCIN' WITH WOLVES LAKERS HIT ROAD, FACE A NEW RIVAL.

Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer

The Lakers faced one of two outcomes before Wednesday night's Game 7 between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings: Either they would end up fanning the flames of a bitter rivalry with the Kings or end up with the chance to build a natural one against the Timberwolves.

Minnesota's 83-80 victory will send the Lakers back to the franchise's original home from the days of George Mikan for a best-of-seven series against league MVP Kevin Garnett and the Timberwolves that begins Friday night at Target Center.

To reach the NBA Finals, the Lakers will have to win at least one game on the road against a Minnesota team that never had advanced past the first round of the playoffs before this season.

The Lakers eliminated Minnesota 4-2 in the first round last year - including a 120-90 demolition that turned the series in Game 5. But the Timberwolves are a changed team, losing Rasho Nesterovic and gaining Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell.

Lakers fans will be able to point to one stat first and foremost this morning: 57-0. That was the amount Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal outscored their Timberwolves counterparts Trenton Hassell and Ervin Johnson in a 90-73 victory March 26.

Minnesota did, however, win three of four games against the Lakers during the regular season. The Timberwolves also were the NBA's best road team and have taken a game away from home in each of their first two playoff series.

The Lakers will arrive in Minneapolis on six days' rest, still feeding off the energy of Derek Fisher's miracle shot to win Game 5 in San Antonio. The Timberwolves will have just two days to recover from being pushed to the final seconds by Sacramento.

But Minnesota could spend a week preparing for Bryant and O'Neal and still come up with few answers. Minnesota will have to use a combination of four players - Johnson, Michael Olowokandi, Mark Madsen and Oliver Miller - to stop O'Neal.

Olowokandi and Miller played only sparingly against the Kings, and Johnson did not score in Game 7. Then there is the combination of Sprewell, Hassell and Fred Hoiberg that will have to defend Bryant.

Additionally, after being torched by Spurs point guard Tony Parker in Games 1 and 2, the Lakers will send Gary Payton against Cassell - his teammate for the final months of last season in Milwaukee. Cassell is 34 years old; Parker turned 22 this week.

In recent weeks, Cassell's body has been taken straight from the board game ``Operation.'' He has been bothered by leg and back injuries and told reporters last week that ``everything'' is hurting. Cassell did recover to hit six of 12 shots and score 23 points Wednesday.

Cassell and Sprewell will bring the playoff experience that the Timberwolves have lacked in recent years. Cassell won two championships while with the Houston Rockets, and Sprewell played in the NBA Finals with the New York Knicks.

Minnesota also has more depth than the Lakers, with Olowokandi, Hoiberg, Wally Szczerbiak and Madsen coming off the bench. Should Cassell be unable to play, however, former UCLA guard Darrick Martin is the only point guard left for the Timberwolves.

Madsen has averaged 21 minutes in the past three games and has knowledge of the Lakers' offense from his years in Los Angeles. But he also picked up four fouls in 11 minutes and looked generally inept the last time the teams played. On the other side, there will be no surprises for the Lakers with Minnesota's offense. The Big Three of Garnett, Sprewell and Cassell take nearly two-thirds of all shots the Timberwolves generate out of their motion set.

The series could turn on how well Malone matches up against Garnett. It will be the ultimate test of the 40-year-old's game. Garnett can play away from the basket, handle the ball and has averaged 20.5 points and 14.5 rebounds per game this season against the Lakers.

Then in March, the Lakers lost 96-86 in Malone's return from a knee injury. Even so, the Lakers won five championships during their time in Minnesota and can be confident that they could pass through on the way to another.

Ross Siler, [phone]

ross.siler(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo, 2 boxes

Photo:

(color) Minnesota forward Kevin Garnett celebrates after the Timberwolves defeated the Sacramento Kings 83-80.

Andy King/Associated Press

Box:

(1) LAKERS vs. TIMBERWOLVES

(2) LOS ANGELES LAKERS vs. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES