The first round series between the Lakers and Wolves shifts to Minnesota where Game 3 will be held on Friday.
The teams are currently tied after two games as the purple and gold look to snatch a win and regain homecourt advantage.
After successfully bouncing back and taking care of business in Game 2, the Lakers are about to face a tougher challenge and that’s facing the Wolves in one of the most hostile arenas in the league. Friday’s primetime matchup is probably going to be the hardest game of the season for the purple and gold simply because the stakes for this one are huge.
When a series is normally split at 1-1, the winner of the pivotal Game 3 matchup not only controls the momentum but has historically gone on to win the series. The ideal scenario for Los Angeles is to win at least one of the next two or preferably even both, which can happen if they once again come up with the perfect game plan.
In Game 2, the Lakers did a significantly better job matching up with the Wolves’ physicality. They also limited Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels and Donte DiVincenzo to just 21 combined points. They didn’t allow the Wolves to score easy baskets in transition (they had just six points) and control the paint, contrary to Game 1.
On top of all this, their defensive coverage on Anthony Edwards was commendable to the point that the Wolves superstar said that he had never seen anything like it before.
That was a fantastic response by the Lakers despite not even putting together a near-perfect offensive performance. With two games down in this series, it’s clear that it’s a huge task to score against this Wolves defense, which is why JJ Redick wants the team to create more thrust and pace offensively. That’s one factor that will determine L.A.’s faith in Game 3.
Another underlying factor is whether or not the big three of Luka Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves can all play well again. The last two games have shown that Dončić can get whatever he wants but James and Reaves have been up and down.
A lot of that has to do with the Wolves’ physical defense, which L.A.’s role players also have to figure out. This is the game where it would be nice to get a huge offensive boost from Rui Hachimura, Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent.
The Lakers’ rotation is pretty much down to almost six players, considering that Jarred Vanderbilt, Jordan Goodwin and Jaxson Hayes’ minutes have significantly dropped. The two day rests in between each game have been huge for them, given the wear and tear they’re likely dealing with against their ferocious opponent. That’s why Game 3 is another must-win for them because the last thing they want is to let fatigue eventually affect performance in this series.
The Wolves are going to keep coming and will have an answer for the Lakers’ defensive coverages on Friday. It’s the Lakers’ responsibility not to succumb to any of it but rather meet the moment and rise up to the pressure. This team has played well and sealed the deal in high-stakes games throughout the regular season and once again, they’ll have to do just that in Game 3.
