LAKERS ABLE TO DRIVE FOR FIVE L.A. GETS FIFTH SEED AFTER WIN OVER WARRIORS, PORTLAND LOSS LAKERS 117, GOLDEN STATE 111.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

OAKLAND - A profoundly odd season, indeed the most irregular of ``regular'' seasons, came to a close Wednesday night, in a manner truly befitting the Lakers' twisted universe: lots of uncertainty, lots of flash, nothing clear until the final seconds.

They battled the Golden State Warriors here, because the schedule dictated it, all the while trying to not to let their minds wander to Memphis or Los Angeles, locales where their playoff fate was being decided.

And in the strangest, most twisted conclusion imaginable, they had the Clippers to thank for a slightly kinder playoff path.

The Clippers routed the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center, opening the door for the Lakers to move up to No. 5 in the West. They did so with a 117-111 victory over the Warriors at the Oakland Coliseum Arena and earned a first-round series with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Lakers open their championship defense Sunday at Target Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.

Game 2 will be Tuesday in Minneapolis, with Games 3 and 4 scheduled for Staples Center.

And so after contemplating a truly harrowing playoff route - one that could have taken them from 60-win Dallas to 59-win Sacramento to 60-win San Antonio - the Lakers instead draw an opponent that has never won a postseason series.

Experts can debate whether the Timberwolves (51-31) are indeed a lesser foe than the Mavericks. The Lakers had no strong opinion on the matter but were just happy just to conclude an awkward season and get to the playoffs.

``I'm looking forward to the series, because it's a new environment,'' Kobe Bryant said. ``We've played pretty much the same teams every playoff run, outside of Phoenix. So I'm excited, man. My teammates are, too. We can't wait to get up there and get started.''

In a handful of other scenarios, the Lakers could have drawn the Mavericks or Blazers.

Those possibilities played out while the Lakers played in ignorance. They knew Minnesota had beaten Memphis earlier in the evening, but Phil Jackson said he coached for the victory without knowing Portland was getting routed by the Clippers.

``Didn't want to know. Just wanted to play the game,'' Jackson said.

Bryant scored 44 points, Shaquille O'Neal added 27 and the Lakers needed late contributions from both of them to hold off the feisty young Warriors down the stretch.

The Lakers finished with a 50-32 record, eight fewer victories than last season, and their worst record in a non-lockout season since 1994-95 (48-34).

Yet they closed the season with some of their best play - 11 victories in their last 13 games, 15 consecutive victories at home - and were one of the strongest teams since the All-Star break.

``We had a tough season, 11-19 at one point, and to come back from that season to win 50 games, that's pretty impressive,'' Bryant said. ``So we feel good with the road that we're on right now.''

If the record did not reflect their stature as three-time defending champions, their swagger always did.

``The (favored) teams are San Antonio, obviously, Sacramento and us,'' Jackson said. ``I'm sure we're probably still the odds-on favorite with the people that count, and that's the bettors.''

For a team that will probably need to win four consecutive series without homecourt advantage, the Lakers' final road record - 19-22 - does not inspire confidence.

Yet the fifth seed holds promise for a more forgiving playoff route: through Minneapolis, before moving on to San Antonio and then Sacramento, if form holds.

The Timberwolves and Lakers split the season series 2-2. They have never met in the playoffs.

The Wolves feature an MVP candidate in Kevin Garnett, an All-Star in Wally Szczerbiak, one of the better centers in Rasho Nesterovic and an unheralded supporting cast.

They played the whole season gunning for homecourt advantage, figuring it would be key to advancing to the second round, then drew the Lakers as their reward.

``So there's a lot of pressure on them,'' Jackson said. ``We're going to have to go in and exploit that and use it to the best of our ability.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 4 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) The Lakers' Kobe Bryant scored 44 points to lead his team to a 117-111 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday and the fifth playoff seed in the Western Conference.

Paul Sakuma/Associated Press

(2) Minnesota guard Wally Szczerbiak scored a game-high 44 points to tie the franchise record Wednesday.

Ann Heisenfeldt/Associated Press

Box:

(1) FIRST LOOK

(2) GAME RECAP

(3) WESTERN CONFERENCE

(4) EASTERN CONFERENCE