There was a good deal of optimism surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers as they entered Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. It was the first Game 1 they played at home since 2012, and many have felt they have a real shot at winning this season’s NBA championship.
But the Timberwolves popped that optimism and have replaced it with a good amount of concern, at least for the time being.
After the Lakers got off to a 28-21 lead at the end of the first quarter, Minnesota dominated. It outscored the Lakers 38-20 in the second quarter and put up the first 11 points of the third period, and the Lakers never recovered. Minnesota was particularly lethal on the boards, and its 11 offensive rebounds allowed it to shoot a sizzling 21-of-42 from 3-point range. The Lakers’ defensive rotations were a bit slow, and they also gave up 25 fast-break points while only scoring six themselves.
While Anthony Edwards didn’t hurt the Lakers as much as some feared, Jaden McDaniels scored 25 points and Naz Reid had 23 points off the bench, and McDaniels and Reid combined to shoot an unbelievable 19-of-25 from the field.
Their 117-95 loss instantly puts lots of pressure on them to win Game 2, which will take place on Tuesday. Another loss in that game would put them in the intensive care unit, with the following two contests taking place in Minnesota.
Rui Hachimura: C
Hachimura started the game with undersized point guard Mike Conley guarding him. He took early advantage by hitting two 3-pointers in the first half of the first quarter, but he was almost unheard of afterward. The Lakers forward made only three of his nine overall shot attempts and scored just nine points in 30 minutes. He also had five rebounds and two assists.
Jaxson Hayes: D
Hayes made virtually no impact in this game. The Lakers tried to set him up for easy baskets off lob passes a few times, but none of them worked, and he missed both of his shot attempts and scored just one point on a free throw. He played just eight minutes, and his only other contribution was three rebounds.
Austin Reaves: C-minus
Reaves shot just 1-of-6 in the first half, and while he started to perk up afterward with 14 third-quarter points, that was about it as far as any positive contributions from him. He went scoreless in the fourth quarter as L.A. tried to mount a rally but ultimately failed to gain any real ground.
He finished 5-of-13 from the field and had a modest three assists and three rebounds to go along with an underwhelming 16 points.
Luka Doncic: A-minus
Doncic was the reason the Lakers held an early lead, as he scored 16 points in the first quarter. He was quiet in the second quarter, and he tried to keep his team alive with some nice play in the second half, but it wasn’t enough.
Minnesota put length on him and got in his jersey almost all over the court, including when he brought the basketball upcourt. He managed to shoot 12-of-22 overall, 5-of-10 from 3-point range and 8-of-9 from the free throw line to score 37 points, but he did have five turnovers and just one assist.
LeBron James: C-minus
James didn’t assert himself much in the first half. He went scoreless in the first quarter and ended the half just 4-of-10 from the field. He never really got himself going, as he ended up 8-of-18 from the field but scored just 19 points and had just three assists.
Interestingly, James only attempted two free throws, even though a good number of his shot attempts came close to the basket. His lack of assists was symptomatic of a team-wide problem, as L.A. only totaled 15 dimes and shot 39.8% from the field.
The team has to find a way to get James easier baskets. Perhaps it should look to post him up and attempt to make the Timberwolves move and shift around on defense.
Dorian Finney-Smith: D
Finney-Smith hit one of his three 3-point attempts and went 1-of-5 overall, limiting him to three points in 33 minutes. Defensively, he helped contain Anthony Edwards, who shot 8-of-22 and scored only 22 points, but he otherwise didn’t help the Lakers’ cause.
Jarred Vanderbilt: B-minus/B
In 14 minutes, Vanderbilt grabbed four rebounds and added two assists and one steal. But he scored only two points on 1-of-3 shooting, and overall, the Lakers’ bench was weak offensively with just 13 points. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s reserves put up 43 points in this game.
Gabe Vincent: D
In 25 minutes, Vincent went just 1-of-3 from the field. He contributed three points, one assist and one block.
Alex Len, Shake Milton, Jordan Goodwin, Bronny James, Dalton Knecht: Incomplete
Of these five players, only Knecht got into the scoring column. The rookie sharpshooter hit two of his four shot attempts, including a 3-pointer, and he scored five points to go along with three rebounds. Len had four rebounds, and Goodwin had one assist.
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