LOS ANGELES (AP) – The Lakers never make it easy. They just keep winning – and they’ve made it back to the NBA Finals.

Shaquille O’Neal had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Kareem Rush came from nowhere to hit six 3-pointers in Los Angeles’ 96-90 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals Monday night.

Kobe Bryant scored 20 points for the Lakers, who overcame Kevin Garnett, their constant bickering with the referees and O’Neal’s horrific 7-for-20 free throw shooting to win the best-of-seven series.

Their fourth trip to the NBA’s championship round in five seasons will begin Sunday. Detroit, leading the Eastern Conference finals 3-2, will visit Los Angeles if the Pistons finish off the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.

The Lakers improved to 9-0 at Staples Center in the postseason, but Garnett and the Timberwolves spent most of the game on the verge of an improbable upset.

Unbowed by the Lakers’ nine championship banners and intimidating home crowd, the Timberwolves played tight defense and made enough free throws to take a lead into the fourth quarter. But Bryant and Rush led a 15-6 run early in the quarter, and Slava Medvedenko added two critical baskets in the final minutes.

Karl Malone and Gary Payton, who signed with the Lakers last summer for a chance at their first NBA title, joined their teammates in a group hug near the bench before accepting the conference championship trophy.

Latrell Sprewell scored 27 points, and Garnett, who fouled out, had 22 points and 17 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who nearly extended the best season in franchise history to a Game 7 in Minneapolis.

Instead, Minnesota’s first trip to the conference finals ended when it couldn’t score enough to overcome the absence of injured All-Star Sam Cassell.

Bryant, O’Neal and Garnett all got in first-half foul trouble in a tightly officiated game. O’Neal sat on the bench for 41/2 minutes in the fourth quarter after picking up his fifth foul.

, and Malone also got five fouls trying to stay with Garnett.

But Rush, the second-year guard who had 11 points in the entire series, made shot after shot from the perimeter. His 3-pointer with 3:22 to play gave Los Angeles a 10-point lead and sent the crowd into pandemonium.

AP-ES-06-01-04 0001EDT