THEY BETTER BE PREPARED TO GO TOE-TO-TOE FOR 12 ROUNDS.

Byline: STEVE DILBECK

So the Lakers wanted a fight. A real bruiser. One to really stamp this bid for a fourth consecutive title.

All together, guys in purple and gold, repeat after me: Be careful what you wish for.

OK, maybe not fresh advice, but something the Lakers should be heeding very carefully about now. Something that has to ring home after Thursday's 114-110 loss in overtime.

After the Lakers were simply belted upside the head in their 28-point loss to the Timberwolves in Game 2, Timberwolves leader Kevin Garnett was feeling pretty pumped.

``They have to stab us, cut our hearts out, put us in the morgue,'' Garnett said. ``We're not going to lie down. We're a team full of pride. And we have a lot of character on this team.''

Told of Garnett's comments later, Lakers leader Shaquille O'Neal said that was fine by him; actually preferred it.

``That's perfect,'' O'Neal said. ``If I'm going to be a boxer, I want to fight Lennox Lewis and Roy Jones and Oscar De La Hoya. I want to fight a fighter.''

Well, congratulations, Lakers, you are in a fight now. If an unexpected one, it is very real. One that has you in trouble.

The Timberwolves are clearly not going to bow and let the Lakers slide into the next round. Not going to be overwhelmed by the Lakers' three consecutive titles. Say, gosh, you guys are good. Such an honor to be on the same floor with you.

They're here to knock the Lakers off. To flatten their noses and put them down for the count. And don't think for a micro-second Minnesota doesn't believe it can happen.

The Lakers tried to shrug off that 119-91 loss in Game 2 to the Timberwolves. They knew O'Neal had been flying all day. Doubted the Timberwolves could continue to be so blistering from the field.

``We'll be ready,'' O'Neal said. ``They'll always have to shoot the ball like that. They're not always going to shoot the ball like that. I know this for a fact.

``Garnett is always going to get his, we just have to slow down the other guys. We're home now, our place, our fans. We know what it takes. We'll be ready.''

They looked pretty ready in the early going Thursday when they jumped out to a quick six-point lead. Not so ready when the Timberwolves led 29-24 at the end of the first quarter.

The team that couldn't continue shooting like that hit 59.1 percent of its shots in the period. And as a note to file away, the Timberwolves were the second-best shooting team in the NBA this season.

Minnesota still led 52-46 at the half, and by then Rick Fox had his nose bloodied when hit by Marc Jackson while going for a rebound. And doesn't it seem like every team trying to knock the Lakers off has a player named Jackson?

Watching from the stands was Lewis, in town for a news conference to announce he would have his next fight at Staples. Lewis, though, probably is privately hoping to have less of a fight on his hands.

The Lakers looked ragged for much of Thursday. A team out of sync. Neither Kobe Bryant nor O'Neal got off to a good start, and Bryant became particularly frustrated, several times not bothering to conceal his exasperation toward teammates.

The game continued to be played at Minnesota's pace. The Timberwolves scored the first two baskets of the second half, and the Lakers were suddenly down by double digits, which is pretty much the way it continued throughout the third quarter.

A furious rally by the Lakers forced overtime. But even after Garnett fouled out 12 seconds into OT, the Lakers couldn't finish off the Timberwolves.

When the young kids were supposed to buckle without their leader, they just fought back. Those veteran, playoff-savvy Lakers couldn't close the deal in their own building, couldn't stare the Wolves down.

So now they're in a brawl, and they'd better know it. They were down 2-1 to the Sacramento Kings last year and survived, but barely. And as good as the Timberwolves are, they are not at the same level as the Kings.

Yeah, it's a real fight now. A first-round fight. And the Lakers had better come ready to dig deep every game, every night, or this will be one quick and disappointing title defense.

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Photo:

Lakers forward Rick Fox knows his team is going to be in for a battle in their first-round series against the Timberwolves.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer