Neither the Minnesota Timberwolves nor the Los Angeles Lakers had played since Sunday, and both teams appeared to be shaking off some rust after the long layoff. That didn’t lead to the best games on Friday evening in Minneapolis.

Both teams had disjointed attacks for extended periods and suffered a number of defensive breakdowns. Ultimately, the outcome for Wolves was never really in doubt, even if the lead was narrow in the final stages. Minnesota defeated the Lakers, who were without LeBron James due to an ankle injury, 97-87 in an ugly game Friday night at Target Center.

The Wolves (13-11) started quickly. They scored 32 points in the first quarter and looked like they ran away from the Lakers (13-12), just like the last time the two teams met at Target Center. But both teams kept coming up empty in the second quarter. Minnesota scored just four points in the first six minutes of the game, and Los Angeles was able to close the gap and trailed by just six points at halftime after trailing by as many as 14 points.

The ball was in Julius Randle’s hands most of the night and he finished with 21 points, five rebounds and three assists. Jaden McDaniels had a good game offensively, with 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting and nine rebounds.

Anthony Edwards left at the end of the third quarter with an apparent leg injury, but returned in the final minutes of the fourth quarter and scored five points en route to a team-high 23. He also added six rebounds and an assist.

Rob Dillingham returned after missing several games with an ankle injury, playing eight minutes and scoring six points on two three-pointers. He also added an assist. Dillingham had a slightly longer run at the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth quarter as Edwards left the locker room. His second three-pointer came early in the fourth quarter.

The Wolves return to action on Sunday night when they visit the San Antonio Spurs at 6 p.m.