The Los Angeles Lakers delivered a crucial rock-solid performance, bouncing back from a tough Game 1 loss with a statement win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night. With their season hanging in the balance early, the Lakers leaned on the superstar performance from Luka Doncic to grind out a 94-85 victory at Crypto.com Arena and level the first-round playoff series at 1-1.
Luka Doncic was the driving force behind the Los Angeles Lakers’ offense. The five-time All-Star poured in 31 points with 12 rebounds. He also dished out nine assists in 42 minutes. Further, he knocked down two three-pointers and added a block in a performance that proved both efficient and vital. Yet, the Slovenian guard kept his focus on the bigger picture.
“It’s fine, but it don’t matter,” Doncic told NBA on TNT’s Taylor Rooks postgame. “We gotta win no matter what. If I have 30 or if I have 10, we just gotta win. It’s not about players, it’s about team, and we just got to win,” he added, refusing personal accolades.
LeBron James contributed a steady 21 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists in the bounce-back win, while Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura added support on both ends of the floor. But it was the Lakers’ defense that truly flipped the script from Game 1.
Doncic also made history in the first half, becoming just the third Laker ever to log at least 22 points, five rebounds, and five assists before halftime in a playoff game. The other two? Kobe Bryant and Anthony Davis, both of whom helped lead the franchise to the NBA Finals in the seasons they hit those marks.
Following the win, the Lakers’ social media team captured the moment with a post that read, “Nothing like that playoff win feeling,” alongside a graphic of the final score.
As the series shifts to Minnesota for Games 3 and 4, Doncic is bracing for what comes next.
Post game, head coach JJ Redick reacted to the game, saying, “All of a sudden there was [Timberwolves] momentum… LeBron just made a massive play.”
With the series now tied, the battle is just beginning.
