Minnesota in familiar position

Once again, the Minnesota Timberwolves have thrown away their homecourt advantage.

It didn’t cost them in the last round against Sacramento, but overcoming an early disadvantage against the Lakers looks like a much greater challenge.

“If we go down 0-2 to this team, it’s going to be very difficult to fight back,” Timberwolves guard Fred Hoiberg said after Friday’s 97-88 loss to Los Angeles.

The Wolves rallied against the Kings, losing the first game at Target Center before winning the next two – including Game 3 at Sacramento – to regain control of the series.

The top-seeded Timberwolves then won at home in Games 5 and 7 to advance to the Western Conference finals.

Now, the Timberwolves are preparing to host the Lakers in Game 2 tonight (5:30 p.m., TNT).

“Our history is we’ve been pretty good in Game 2s,” coach Flip Saunders said Saturday. “We’ve always made pretty good adjustments and had some success.”

To start, Minnesota must reduce those careless turnovers – eight of 15 came in the second quarter. That won’t be an easy task, either, with point guard Sam Cassell limited, at best, because of a bad back.

Journeyman Darrick Martin is the only other true point, and he didn’t play Friday. That leaves Hoiberg, Latrell Sprewell and Kevin Garnett, the league MVP, to bring the ball up the floor when Cassell isn’t out there.

The danger for the Wolves is that Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant combined for “only” 50 points, and either has the ability to score much more.

On the other hand, O’Neal uncharacteristically made nine of 11 free throws, and the Lakers ran their offense flawlessly in the second half. It’s not unrealistic to expect a bit of a letdown.

“We have to get a little bit better,” said Michael Olowokandi, whose had 10 points and 11 rebounds in a reserve role for Minnesota. “Those guys down the stretch did execute. Hopefully, that’s not what is to be expected for the rest of the series.”

Cassell was held out of practice Saturday because of his bad back, but Minnesota’s ailing point guard plans on playing in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals.

Frank defends Kidd

After Jason Kidd went on the injured list in mid-March, New Jersey Nets coach Lawrence Frank had serious doubts his All-Star point guard would play again this season.

Frank came to Kidd’s defense on Saturday, just two days after Kidd was held scoreless in losing Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Detroit Pistons.

“Jason played when many wouldn’t,” Frank said after the Nets held their final team meeting. “He left himself vulnerable, in terms of people questioning his play, and yet never said anything about it. I think that says a lot about his character, that he isn’t using anything as an excuse.”

Kidd averaged 10.1 points against the Pistons and shot 28.4 percent, a dismal effort even for a point guard who is known more for creating for his teammates than for scoring.

Frank said Kidd’s left knee was so painful in the postseason, he hurt his back trying to compensate.

Bulls, Magic like Okafor

With the playoff lottery coming Wednesday, the two worst teams, Orlando and Chicago, are signaling they’re not interested in long-range projects from high school or overseas. Both will take Emeka Okafor if they get the first pick. The Bulls are so determined to get immediate help, if they don’t get Okafor, they’ll take the player thought to be next readiest, Duke’s Luol Deng, even though he’s only a 19-year-old freshman.