On this date in 2004, The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, advancing to the NBA Finals despite a close game where the Timberwolves, missing an injured All-Star Sam Cassell, nearly forced a Game 7.
Here’s the complete story as it appeared in the paper that day:
O’Neal, Rush tame Wolves, eliminate top seed in Game 6
LOS ANGELES – The Lakers never make it easy. They just keep winning and they’ve make it back to the NBA Finals.
Shaquille O’Neal had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Kareem Rush came from nowhere to hit six 3-pointers in Los Angeles’ 96-90 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 6 of the Western Confer- ence finals Monday night.
Kobe Bryant scored 20 points for the Lakers, who overcame Kevin Garnett, their constant bickering with the referees and O’Neal’s horrific 7-for-20 free throw shooting to win the best- of-seven series.
Their fourth trip in the NBA’s championship round in five seasons will begin Sunday. Detroit, leading the Eastern Conference finals 3-2, will visit Los Angeles if the Pistons fin- ish off the Indiana Pacers on tonight.
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The Lakers improved to 9-0 at Staples Center in the postsea- son, but Garnett and the Tim- berwolves spent most of the game on the verge of an improbable upset.
Unbowed by the Lakers’ nine championship banners and intimidating home crowd, the Timberwolves played tight defense and made enough free throws to take a lead in the fourth quarter. But Bryant and Rush led a 15-6 run early in the quarter, and Slava Medvedenko added two critical baskets in the final minutes.
Karl Malone and Gary Payton, who signed with the Lakers last summer for a chance at their first NBA title, joined their teammates in a group hug near the bench before accepting the conference championship trophy.
Latrell Sprewell scored 27 points, and Garnett, who fouled out, had 22 points and 17 rebounds for the Timberwolves.
A photo featured in this story, as it appeared in The Forum on June 1, 2004. Newspapers.com
Garnett and Sprewell nearly extended the best season in franchise history to a Game 7 in Minneapolis.
Instead, Minnesota’s first trip to the conference finals ended when it couldn’t score enough to overcome the absence of injured All-Star Sam Cassell.
Bryant, O’Neal and Gar- nett all got in first-half foul trouble in a tightly officiat- ed game.
O’Neal sat on the bench for 4½ minutes in the fourth quarter after picking up his fifth foul, and Malone also got five fouls trying to stay with Garnett.
But Rush, the second-year guard who had 11 points in the entire series, made shot after shot from the perime- ter.
His 3-pointer with 3:22 to play gave Los Angeles a 10- point lead and sent the crowd into pandemonium.
