LOS ANGELES -- The injury-ridden Los Angeles Lakers already have spent so much time playing without Kobe Bryant, losing him again for an extended period wont take them in uncharted territory. Seahawks #82 Jersey . Xavier Henry, the fourth player to start at point guard this season for coach Mike DAntoni, scored 21 points and the Lakers began another long stretch without their 15-time All-Star by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-91 Friday night. Bryant is expected to miss at least six weeks because of a fracture in his left knee, which occurred Tuesday night at Memphis when he fell to the court late in the third quarter of the Lakers 96-92 win. The NBAs fourth all-time leading scorer finished that game, hitting a clutch 3-pointer to help seal the win. But an MRI on Thursday revealed the injury. Bryant missed the first 19 games of the season while recovering from surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon, an injury that occurred on April 12 -- with two games left before the playoffs. "It just prepared us," Henry said. "I mean, we started without him, and right now unfortunately were without him again. But we know we can play. We know we can win games, and we have the confidence that we have other people that can do the job." The Lakers returned from a 2-2 road trip and ended a three-game home losing streak. Pau Gasol, the only player to start all 26 games for the Lakers, had 21 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Reserve Nick Young scored 25 points, including a 4-point play that gave the Lakers a lead after Corey Brewer fouled him behind the arc with 2:37 left in the third quarter. "We played to our strengths," Henry said. "I mean, me and Nick can attack them in different ways. Jodie Meeks can shoot it, and weve got a guy like Pau whos a really good playmaker." Bryant, who last month signed a two-year, $48.5 million contract extension at age 35, made his return Dec. 8 and played just six games -- all in 10 days. The 18-year veteran averaged over 32 minutes in the last three while shifting to point guard because of injuries to Steve Nash, Steve Blake and Jordan Farmar. The 39-year-old Nash, a two-time MVP who hasnt played since Nov. 10 because of back and hamstring issues, has played as many games as Bryant -- and will remain sidelined at least four more weeks with nerve root irritation in his back. Blake missed his fifth game because of a torn ligament in his right elbow, and Farmar sat out his eighth due to a torn left hamstring. DAntoni used his 11th starting lineup, and Henry shot 8 for 19 and had four assists in 42 minutes. As a team, the Lakers had 27 assists despite the absence of a bona fide point guard. "They understand the moment and they understand that this is their opportunity," DAntoni said. Kevin Love scored 20 of his 25 points in the first half and grabbed 13 rebounds for Minnesota, but was held scoreless in the fourth quarter. The Lakers broke open a tight game with 3-pointers by Gasol and Young to help extend their lead to 100-91 with 2 minutes remaining. They outscored Minnesota 9-0 over the final 3:18. Nikola Pekovic had 22 points and 13 boards, but Brewer finished with just five points after missing all eight field goal attempts. Point guard Ricky Rubio missed the morning shootaround because he wasnt feeling well. He played 30 minutes, finishing with six points, seven assists and six rebounds. Love powered the Timberwolves to a 53-51 halftime lead, fueling an 18-3 run with seven points in a 1:50 span to help turn an 11-point deficit into a 51-47 lead in the final minute of the second quarter. "No energy. We have to be better than that," Minnesota coach Rick Adelman said. "They outworked us all night long. It was a poor game on our part. " NOTES: Henry was the 12th overall pick in the 2012 draft, by Memphis. His older brother C.J. was the 17th overall pick in the 2005 baseball draft, by the Yankees. ... This is the first time since moving from Minneapolis to Los Angeles that the Lakers have failed to go more than a game over .500 through their first 26 games in back-to-back seasons. ... Love has fouled out only once in 313 NBA games. It was against the Lakers on Jan. 30, 2009 -- as a reserve -- in a 132-119 loss at Minnesota. Seahawks #85 Jersey . - The Minnesota Vikings have waived quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson to make room for new quarterback Josh Freeman on the roster. Seahawks #54 Jersey . Canadian Lance Gibson is happy to oblige with the former UFC light-heavyweight champion some tough love.LONDON -- Jose Mourinho accepted Chelseas Premier League faint title hopes had been extinguished by a 0-0 draw against Norwich on Sunday, with the manager bemoaning the teams laziness and misfiring strikers as his first season back in charge ends with a whimper. Neither striker Demba Ba nor Fernando Torres came close to scoring as Chelsea was left unsuccessfully appealing for penalties in this drab penultimate game of the season. "Our strikers are good strikers, no doubt about that, but players with some specific qualities," Mourinho said. "They are not the kind of players in five square meters with three or four players around who can get the ball, can dribble around and make the shot. "So when the team is in a difficult situation they are not able to normally resolve that situation for us." It likely means Mourinhos first season back at Chelsea will end without a trophy. Chelsea, with one game left, is a point behind Manchester City and Liverpool, who both have two matches remaining and a superior goal difference. "We tried everything but at the end of the day we knew we had no chance of being champions," he added. Chelsea is three points ahead of fourth-placed Arsenal, which also has one game left, but the Blues have a much better goal difference. A draw at Stamford Bridge would usually be something to celebrate for Norwich -- giving Neil Adams his first point in his fourth game as interim manager -- but it leaves the club closer to the drop. Norwich needs Sunderland to lose to West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday and Swansea on Sunday, when the Canaries must beat Arsenal. Realistically, the season seems to be over for both Norwich and Chelsea, which still seemed to be affected by Wednesdays Champions League semifinal loss to Atletico Madrid. "The first half was typical of the consequence of that state of mind," Mourinho said. "It was a lazy first half," he added. "Slow, no pressure, the midfield werent arriving to press the opponent." Chelsea was forttunate that referee Neil Swarbrick dismissed Norwichs penalty claims after 11 minutes when Martin Olsson was fouled in the area by John Terry. Seahawks #68 Jersey. Chelsea didnt make the most of its reprieve, with the hosts unable to trouble goalkeeper John Ruddy, who easily saved Terrys header. Andre Schuerrle did manage to hit the inside of the post but his follow-up was easily collected by Ruddy, and Willian completely miscued a shot just before half time. Defender David Luiz made a quick impact at the start of the second half after replacing Frank Lampard, but the crossbar denied Chelsea this time. Then came Chelseas penalty claims, with Schuerrle first brought down by Alexander Tettey and Ryan Bennett making slight contact with second-half substitute Eden Hazard. "Hazard, I saw," Mourinho said. "I saw in the game, but to confirm I had a quick run to my office which is just there, and I arrived in time to watch and then go back to the dug-out laughing ... because I cant cry." With one of his assistants, Rui Faria, starting a six-game stadium ban for misconduct toward match officials, Mourinho imposed a vow of silence toward Sundays referee. "My assistant is in jail and I dont want to comment," Mourinho said. The Portuguese was happier discussing another unsatisfactory performance from his strikers, summed up by Torres failing to make a clean connection late on after Hazards shot was parried. For Mourinho, the summer mission is to overhaul his strike force with Atletico striker Diego Costa primed for a move to west London. "Its a long summer for us ... to sit and to discuss and analyze options, the market," Mourinho said. Veteran players could be leaving, with 33-year-old defender Ashley Cole out of contract at the end of the season and tearful on the pitch after Chelseas final home game. Terry, who embraced the emotional Cole, and Lampard are also yet to secure new contracts. "They are with the club on their future," said Mourinho, who wants the trio to stay. ' ' '
