LOS ANGELES – Good offense? Maybe not. But at a certain point of desperation, any shot that goes in is a good shot.

The Lakers (19-19) were at that point late in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who were short on stars but had plenty of length to spare. But some timely shot-making by Carmelo Anthony and Avery Bradley saved them in a 108-103 win at home, the Lakers’ first back-to-back victories since Dec. 15.

They were far from ideal looks. Anthony hit his attempt with the shot clock winding down as Jarred Vanderbilt lunged at him. The 37-year-old veteran was wily enough to kick out on the Minnesota defender, drawing contact on his 3-pointer for a four-point play with 3:07 left.

Less than a minute later, Bradley had to pull up from two despite a strong contest from Malik Beasley with the shot clock running out. It turned out to be the winning basket, as the Timberwolves only scored three points in the final 2:27.

The Lakers’ last key baskets didn’t come on particularly good looks, but Anthony said the roster has plenty of veterans who are willing to live with the results when they have to throw it up.

“If you miss it, you miss it; get back on D, aight?” he said. “It’s just a matter of being willing to step up at that moment.”

Much of the work was done by LeBron James (26 points) and Malik Monk (22 points), who carried the offense for the first three quarters while stretching out Minnesota’s still-workmanlike defense. Russell Westbrook (20 points) helped carry them home at the free throw line, making 6 for 8 on the night. Anthony finished with 14 points to lead the Lakers’ bench.

While the veteran guard made his presence felt on defense with a team-high four steals, Bradley’s timely cuts and shot-making with 14 total points was a powerful endorsement for the Lakers to guarantee his contract in the coming days.

“He doesn’t do anything that he’s not capable of doing,” James said of Bradley. “He knows exactly how to make his mark on an offensive end around guys who handle the ball, guys who attract a lot of double teams, guys that attract a lot of eyes.”

While James’ streak of 30-plus-point games ended at seven, he was pivotal in shutting down Naz Reid for the last quarter. Reid poured in 23 points in the first three quarters against the undersized Lakers, but was scoreless in the final frame. The Lakers have won three of their last four games, all with James starting at center.

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Minnesota also wound up with 24 turnovers, led by their second-year wing Anthony Edwards who had eight to go with his 18 points on 7 for 19 shooting.

In the first two games with the Timberwolves, the Lakers were skewered by big man Karl-Anthony Towns for a combined 57 points and 17 rebounds. Towns didn’t exit the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols in time for the game, but in his stead, 22-year-old Reid found plenty of room to work in the post, backing down the smaller Stanley Johnson and finishing pick and rolls while slipping past defenders effortlessly.

Despite this, the Lakers stuck with the small lineup – with Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan watching from the bench.

Reid was just one of the dirty workers that kept the Timberwolves also cleaning the glass for 20 offensive boards and the length that held the Lakers to just 18 points in the paint in the first half. With long-limbed bigs like Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota managed to stick their arms in the spokes of the Lakers’ offense, grinding it down for much of the game.

Vogel said he challenged his players to compete despite the size disadvantage: “If we’re gonna explore this style of play, we’re gonna have to learn how to deal with this.”

Another drain on the Lakers offense: Westbrook’s nine turnovers.

The 33-year-old had another uneven offensive game, missing shots at the rim without hitting iron, losing the ball while dribbling up court, and missing all five of his attempts from deep. He had seven turnovers by halftime, the extra possessions helping the Timberwolves stay within striking distance.

But Westbrook also made a big shot in the final stretch, hitting a contested two over Edwards, just his seventh field goal in 16 attempts.

Westbrook defended his effort in game, saying that his mistakes concealed plays that didn’t show up in the stat sheet.

“I’m allowed to miss shots; I can do that,” he said. “Like any other player, I can do that. I can turn the ball over, too. I can do that. That’s all a part of the game. But when you watch a basketball game and figure out what impact making the right plays, boxing out, rebounding, whatever that may be, making the right play, making the right reads, that’s all about being a basketball player.”

The Lakers face the Sacramento Kings at home on Tuesday night.