The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - The Minnesota Timberwolves have a patchwork starting lineup that's missing an All-Star, and they're making up their offensive schemes on the fly in the Western Conference finals.

Still, as long as Kevin Garnett is in the middle of this chaos, the Wolves believe they've got a shot at an improbable comeback.

After a 98-96 victory in Game 5 Saturday, Minnesota packed its bags for another trip to Los Angeles and another potential elimination game. Point guard Sam Cassell won't play tonight, missing his second straight game with back spasms and an injured hip.

But after ending the Lakers' streak of 12 straight victories in elimination games, the Timberwolves put the pressure back on Los Angeles to close it out. Nobody gives Minnesota much of a shot in Game 6, and the Timberwolves will play without the burden of expectations - and Garnett, who has been brilliant throughout the playoffs, just might have another spectacular game in him.

"That's what it's all about, is a chance to prove everybody wrong," Miami University product Wally Szczerbiak said Sunday.

Only seven teams have recovered from a 3-1 deficit to win a series, and only 17 even forced a seventh game. The Timberwolves won at Staples Center on Jan. 30, but the Lakers played without injured stars Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone. And Minnesota has won just three times in Los Angeles since Dec. 5, 1993.

One of those was an OT win in Game 3 of the teams' first-round series last season. The Lakers won the next three games of that series - but if the Timberwolves' season ends in Los Angeles for the second straight year, they hope to go down in a style befitting the best season in franchise history.

Garnett's supporting cast was little help in the Timberwolves' earlier losses. Latrell Sprewell was 11-for-35 in the two games, while Szczerbiak scored 40 of the Timberwolves' 55 bench points. Sprewell shot 11-of-21 Saturday night.