The Los Angeles Lakers couldn't mitigate the absence of LeBron James on Friday night, falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves by the final score of 97-87.

With James missing his second straight game due to left foot soreness, Los Angeles struggled to gain traction offensively throughout the contest.

The Lakers trailed by as many as 17 points in the second half and cut the deficit to five with just over two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but they weren't able to get any closer before the Timberwolves pulled away for the win.

Los Angeles' ball movement was an issue against Minnesota, committing a season-high 21 turnovers compared to just 17 assists.

Anthony Davis wrapped up an efficient performance, although his double-double wasn't enough to secure a victory. Davis finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds to go along with three blocks, shooting 10-21 from the field.

Los Angeles was able to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers without James on Sunday, but the same couldn't be said for Friday's matchup.

Fans were disheartened by the result.

Anthony Edwards led the way with 23 points for the Timberwolves, shooting 45 percent from the field. He also recorded six rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block.

Minnesota improved to 13-11, while the Lakers fell to 13-12 and have now lost four of their past five games.