Lakers 96, Timberwolves 90

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kareem Rush just kept firing that smooth left-handed jumper from 3-point range, and it kept going in.

When the biggest game of his life to date was over, with Rush having played a starring role in a playoff game for the first time, he spoke like a grizzled veteran who knew the feeling.

”I'm not a guy who gets overly excited,” Rush said. ”It's great to be here, but we've got four more games to win, and then I can celebrate.”

After shooting 4-of-16 for 11 points in the first five games of the Western Conference finals, Rush scored a career playoff-high 18 on six 3-pointers in Game 6, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 96-90 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night.

By winning the conference finals 4-2, the Lakers earned their fourth NBA Finals berth in five years. The exception was last year, when Rush was a seldom-used rookie and they lost to eventual champion San Antonio in the second round.

Now, for the most part, Rush is a seldom-used two-year veteran.

”Kareem was obviously the story of the night,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. ”He played a game of a career, obviously.”

Rush averaged 2.9 points and 13.4 minutes in the Lakers' previous 16 playoff games. He played 23 minutes Monday night, including the entire fourth quarter.

”I just have to stay ready,” he said. ”I know I didn't get a lot of playing time in this series. Guys have been playing well. They went small, and the coach threw me in. And after I made my first shot, I knew it was going to be a good night. It just kept going in for me.”

Shaquille O'Neal had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Kobe Bryant added 20 points to lead the Lakers, who will face Detroit or Indiana in the NBA Finals starting Sunday. The best-of-seven series will open in Los Angeles if Detroit wins the Eastern Conference finals and in Indiana if the Pacers win.

The Pistons lead 3-2 entering Game 6 on Tuesday night.

”This is the reason I came over here,” said Karl Malone, who had 10 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists and had the grueling task of guarding league MVP Kevin Garnett.

Malone and Gary Payton joined the Lakers last summer at discount prices in search of the first championship in their outstanding careers.

”I would like to show more emotion right now, but we have not done anything yet,” Malone said. ”The last two times that I went left a bad feeling in my mouth.”

The 40-year-old Malone joined the Lakers after spending 18 seasons with the Utah Jazz, who reached the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998 but lost to the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls both times.

The coach of the Bulls was Jackson, who is going for his 10th championship — more than any coach or manager in team sports. Red Auerbach coached the Boston Celtics to nine titles.

”The pressure's on us, and that's to try and do something unique, and that's to win four of five,” Jackson said.

Latrell Sprewell led the Timberwolves with 27 points. Garnett had 22 points and 17 rebounds before fouling out with 19.4 seconds remaining and the outcome decided.

”I got a taste of the Western Conference finals,” Garnett said, ”but it's like Spree said in the locker room, 'It doesn't mean anything if you don't win it all.' … We've just got to use this as experience and add a couple of pieces and go from there.”

The Timberwolves hadn't advanced past the first round of the playoffs before this year. In the end, they couldn't overcome the loss of All-Star point guard Sam Cassell and his backup, Troy Hudson. Without a solid ballhandler, they committed 19 turnovers in Game 6 — eight by Garnett — to 10 for the Lakers.

”The fact that we did not have our general out there with us sure took us off a little bit and guys were asked to do things they don't normally do,” Garnett said. ”But we all stood up and took the responsibility and ran with it. We still had a chance to win.”

That they did, leading for almost the entire third quarter. But the first of Rush's three 3-pointers in the final period snapped a 68-all tie and put the Lakers ahead for good.

A three-point play by Mark Madsen with 4:13 left cut the Lakers' lead to 84-79, but Slava Medvedenko's third basket of the fourth quarter and Rush's last 3-pointer gave the Lakers a 10-point lead.

”We did well enough to win the game, win the series, but we can play a lot better basketball,” O'Neal said after the Lakers improved their postseason record at Staples Center to 9-0 — three wins in each of the first three rounds.

Notes: Bryant, O'Neal and Garnett all got in foul trouble in a tightly officiated first half. O'Neal sat on the bench for 4 1/2 minutes in the fourth quarter after picking up his fifth foul, and Malone also got five fouls trying to stay with Garnett. … Payton, Malone and Bryant were all hit with technical fouls — Bryant for his fourth straight game. … O'Neal continued his woeful foul shooting, going 7-of-20. … Jackson inexplicably left O'Neal in the game with three fouls late in the first half and O'Neal picked up his fourth with 1:01 left in the second quarter. … The Timberwolves shot 24-of-26 from the foul line while the Lakers were 17-of-36. … The Lakers won despite being outrebounded 48-38.