Final season, the Minnesota Timberwolves heard how they’d no probability of beating the Phoenix Suns of their first-round sequence.
Minnesota swept the Suns after which despatched the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets house earlier than it will definitely misplaced to the Dallas Mavericks within the Western Convention finals.
Then, as this season’s first-round sequence towards the Los Angeles Lakers approached, comparable feedback have been circulating. Few individuals have been giving the Timberwolves an opportunity to take down LeBron James, Luka Doncic and associates.
Properly, Minnesota nonetheless confirmed up for Recreation 1 in Los Angeles — however the Lakers positive didn’t.
Timberwolves 117, Lakers 95.
Minnesota outscored Los Angeles by 29 factors over the ultimate three quarters. The Timberwolves have been extremely bodily, and the Lakers didn’t reply.
The sport was so one-sided that Lakers legend Magic Johnson trashed the workforce on social media and likewise bashed coach JJ Redick for his lack of changes.
When a homer just like the Magic Man rips the workforce, you recognize it was one ugly efficiency.
Minnesota wrestled homecourt benefit away by holding the Lakers to 39.8% taking pictures. Jaden McDaniels had 25 factors on 11-of-13 taking pictures along with his regular suffocating protection.
Naz Reid drilled six 3-pointers whereas scoring 23 factors off the bench. Los Angeles’ bench mixed for simply 13 whole factors.
Research the competition deeper, and you recognize that is must-win territory Tuesday night time for the Lakers.
If Los Angeles falls behind 0-2, it will likely be a troublesome street — as Anthony Edwards will go off for 35 or 40 factors a number of instances earlier than this sequence concludes.
Regardless that notion favors the Lakers, Minnesota was one of many hottest groups within the NBA down the stretch.
The Timberwolves have been simply three video games over .500 when March started earlier than a torrid 17-4 ending kick. Minnesota completed with 49 victories, only one fewer than the Lakers.
Edwards delivered his regular stable performances and Rudy Gobert stepped up his protection and rebounding. Offseason acquisition Julius Randle regarded extra comfy, whereas guys like Reid and Donte DiVincenzo delivered off the bench.
McDaniels is without doubt one of the league’s high defensive gamers, and veteran Mike Conley, a former stalwart, has totally accepted a complementary position the place his intelligence is far more vital to the operation than his scoring capacity.
Throw in Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Minnesota is eight-deep with out a lot drop-off. You don’t want an even bigger rotation within the postseason, and the Timberwolves are able to go to battle with this group.
After all, making ready for Recreation 2 is paramount. The Lakers want that sport earlier than the sequence strikes to Minneapolis.
“We all know it’s going to be a protracted sequence,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch stated. “We’re not below any assumption that it’s going to be this sort of sport in Recreation 2. It’ll be a very completely different sport.”
Minnesota was 21 of 42 from 3-point vary, with most of the photographs being of the wide-open selection.
Los Angeles acquired 37 factors from Doncic and 58 from the remainder of the workforce. After all, Doncic had troubles on protection in Recreation 1, so absolutely Mavericks normal supervisor Nico Harrison was comfortable to see that unfold after repeatedly making thinly veiled feedback about “protection wins championships” as his justification for unloading Doncic.
James wasn’t all that spry in Recreation 1, scoring 19 factors with solely three assists. Los Angeles wants a big-time effort from LBJ if it’s going to even the sequence Tuesday.
The Lakers have Austin Reaves to associate with James and Doncic, however their frontcourt is skinny because the commerce of Anthony Davis to Dallas. There aren’t sufficient horses up entrance to make a official championship run, so their three primary scorers must click on each night time.
It additionally permits Gobert to cheat on protection with out concern of it resulting in a straightforward Los Angeles basket.
Whenever you break down the rosters, that is a fair sequence — regardless of all of the “Lakers have the sting” chatter.
The groups cut up the four-game regular-season sequence, with the house workforce profitable every time.
The Timberwolves broke by means of in Recreation 1, and one other win Tuesday would set the stage for one more first-round sequence win.
Maybe the Lakers are the workforce in hassle.
