The Lakers earned a playoff spot but lost Andrew Bynum to injury, the good and the bad for the home team in a strange, choppy game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

There wasn't much charisma on display against one of the league's worst teams in a 104-96 victory, but the Lakers' main talking point wasn't clinching a postseason berth after Bynum left the game because of a strained left Achilles' tendon.

Bynum was running downcourt on defense, felt a brief pop and promptly checked out of the game before walking back to the locker room with 10:09 left in the third quarter. He stopped in the hallway because of the pain and slowly continued to the trainer's room.