Inside the locker room

MINNEAPOLIS — Here’s some of the best and brightest postgame analysis after the Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight.

Coach Phil Jackson on why the game was so close: “Our pathetic defense is what I was going to say. I thought we just played sloppy defense and didn’t put our minds to it.”

Kobe Bryant on whether the Lakers gave an Oscar-worthy performance: “Yeah, we were going for best drama, actually.”

Bryant on whether beating Minnesota by 111-108 qualified as a good win: “No, we’ll take it. We’ll take it for what it is. We obviously could play a lot better, but they made a lot of tough shots. … The important thing is we survived a game like this.”

Pau Gasol on the Lakers’ defense: “They were hitting shot at the beginning of the game (but) our defense wasn’t as tight and as aggressive as it should have been. We were never able to leave them behind us and get away from them and score. We weren’t sharp tonight as far as intensity.”