LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first game of the playoffs and ended up losing 95-117, becoming the only team to lose home-court advantage on the first day. While Luka Doncic had a solid performance, the Lakers’ overall form looked sluggish throughout the game, and the game revealed the huge challenge they face against a physical, fast-paced opponent.
The game was out of control from the start.
The Timberwolves came out strong from the start. They played a very proactive game, unafraid of the pressure of being on the road and completely unconcerned about the fact that this was Doncic’s playoff debut as a Laker. By contrast, the Lakers launched a brief opening surge but the game gradually lost its rhythm for them from the second quarter onwards.
“We were mentally prepared, but physically we didn’t seem to be up to speed.” Head Coach JJ Reddick confessed after the game. He had just come on board this season after a roster reshuffle and struggled to establish a tough defensive system, and while it worked well for a time in the regular season, he also appeared to be caught off guard in the first game against the Timberwolves.
Doncic performance bright but can not cover the overall slump
Dongqiqi full game scored 37 points and 8 rebounds, but only one assist, and often in the defensive end by the opponent to catch the weakness. Although his personal offense firepower is powerful, but lonely – when teammates can not effectively run, pull space, his passing options naturally become less.
And the Lakers bench almost did not provide any effective fire support. Several bench players such as Finney Smith, Vincent, Van der Bilt combined only three shots, the offensive end of the basic “invisible”.
On the contrary, the Timberwolves’ bench players were on fire, especially Naz Reed, who hit six three-pointers, almost breaking his own playoff record. The team hit a total of 21 three-pointers, hitting a rate of up to 50%, not only set a team record for the playoffs, but also completely disrupted the layout of the Lakers’ defense.
Defensive end of the collapse, the Lakers have no solution
On the defensive end, the Lakers’ problems are just as serious. Their original plan was to force the Timberwolves to play their inept positional offense and try to put opposing center Gobert in a defensive bind through the offensive end. However, the Lakers didn’t play with that kind of aggression and instead allowed the Timberwolves to capitalize on the counterattack.
The Timberwolves created plenty of easy scoring opportunities by using transition offenses and grabbing offensive rebounds, while the Lakers looked passive on those possessions. “When they attacked the basket with speed and power, we didn’t respond in time.” Redick summed it up thusly.
LeBron James was average throughout the game with only 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, a significant drop from his average of over 25 points per game since Doncic joined the team. Another starter, Austin Reeves, scored only once in the first half and was so poor that he himself called his first half performance “terrible” after the game.
Edwards controls the game, Timberwolves team performance is better
In contrast, Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards played very calmly. He didn’t go after individual stats, but fully trusted his teammates, dishing out 9 assists and getting 22 points and 8 rebounds himself. Although he left the game at one point in the second half due to cramps, he immediately stabilized the situation upon his return.
Timberwolves team 29 assists, showing good teamwork, while the Lakers were repeatedly caught up in the situation of a single player. This game shows that the Timberwolves are more like an organized and disciplined whole, while the Lakers look fragmented.
Tiny difference determines the winner, the Lakers need to adjust quickly
In the final stage of the season, many people believe that except for the Thunder, the gap between the other teams in the West is very small. Because of this, every little detail can change the balance of victory or defeat.
What the Lakers lost in this game was not talent, but details. For example, in the rebound scramble, turnover control, back to the speed of defense and so on are at a disadvantage. They committed a total of 10 turnovers, which were exploited into fast breaks and multiple 3-pointers.
“We should be able to control those issues, like not giving them easy fast break opportunities and cutting down on second chance points.” James said. He emphasized that the team must do a better job of controlling what it can, especially on defense and rebounding.
Where to go from here: the Lakers need to rediscover aggression
The Lakers are not a team without chances, after all, they have two superstars in Doncic and James. But the problem is that when they fail to play their own rhythm, the opponent will quickly take the upper hand.
The Timberwolves have holes, such as Julius Randle who had as many as seven turnovers in the game, but the consistent play of their other players makes up for it. The Lakers, on the other hand, don’t have anyone who can step up in key moments and turn things around.
If the Lakers hope to pull off the upset in the upcoming series, they’ll have to adjust their tactics, improve their fitness, and regain that hustle and intensity. Doncic needs more support from his teammates, and James must take more responsibility on the offensive end.
Redick said he will carefully review the video before the next game, rearranging the defensive strategy, especially in dealing with the Timberwolves three-point shooting to make targeted deployment.
Summary
The series between the Lakers and Timberwolves has just begun, but the loss in the first game has already set off alarm bells. The Lakers are loaded with talent, but have very little margin for error and will be passive if they don’t play hard enough or fast enough.
What they need is not only a technical adjustment, but also a change in mentality. If they can’t show a different kind of momentum in the second game, they may soon be on the verge of elimination.
The next game will be a back-and-forth battle for the Lakers.
