Minnesota came out firing in Game 1, stunning the Lakers with 3-pointers from all over the court and a disruptive defense. The Timberwolves played like a team that heard all the doubters, but were ready to respond. They didn’t just win—they dismantled the Lakers, 117-95, at Crypto.com Arena.
The Timberwolves broke a franchise playoff record with 21 3s, shooting 50% from beyond the arc. Jaden McDaniels dropped a career-high for the playoffs with 25 points, while Naz Reid added 23 points to the team’s total while shooting 70% from 3-point-range. Anthony Edwards had a quieter scoring night—by his standards, at least—but filled the stat sheet, finishing the game with 22 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds.
The Lakers had no answers defensively. Their rotations were slow off the bench and they couldn’t take advantage of shot opportunities. Offensively, the Lakers looked out of sync, relying heavily on isolation plays for Luka Dončić. LeBron James managed just 19 points and Dončić led with 37, but his points couldn’t slow Minnesota’s offensive attack. The Timberwolves exposed the Lakers interior defense, dominating second-chance points and controlling the tempo from start to finish.
Game 2 was a whole different story.
The Lakers responded with intensity out of the gate. Dončić once again led the team with 31 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists, while James had 21 points and 11 rebounds. The Lakers limited Minnesota’s offense to shooting just 38% from the field and 20% from 3-point range, shifting the momentum from Game 1.
The Lakers made a key adjustment to guarding the perimeter more intently and forcing the Timberwolves to take more contested mid-range shots. Minnesota attempted just 25 3s in Game 2, down from 41 in Game 1. Rudy Gobert was not as effective, ending the game with six points and McDaniels finished with only eight.
The Lakers’ largest lead was by 22 points and they maintained at least a nine point lead for the rest of the game after the fourth quarter.
Looking ahead to Game 3. The series now shifts to Minnesota, where the Timberwolves will have home court advantage. The Timberwolves will look to find that rhythm that they had in Game 1. Meanwhile, the Lakers need to sustain the defensive pressure and rebounding edge that won them Game 2 while maintaining a lead throughout the game.
This will be a chess match as the Lakers look to take the lead in the series tonight. Game 3 tips off at 6:30pm at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.