The Los Angeles Lakers faced a tough 117-95 defeat against the Minnesota Timberwolves in a crucial playoff game at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Lakers’ one loss has sparked reactions from fans, but NBA legend Magic Johnson has shared the real reason behind the Lakers’ defeat in the matchup despite LeBron James and Luka Doncic’s efforts to propel the team to victory.
Taking to his X, Magic Johnson, who has been very excited about the matchup, explained the faults in the Los Angeles Lakers against the Minnesota Timberwolves. “The Lakers failed in two big categories in their loss against the Timberwolves. On the defensive end – they allowed the Timberwolves to shoot over 51% from the field and they didn’t respond to the physical play of the Timberwolves,” Johnson wrote on X.
“Last but not least, it was too much standing around on the Lakers offense and players watching the Lakers big three, Reeves, Doncic and James, go one-on-one. We need far more productivity from the bench,” he added.
The Lakers had a rough shooting night, finishing 33-of-83 from the field for just 39.8%. Despite hitting 15 threes on 41 attempts (36.6%), their overall offense never found much rhythm. LeBron James scored 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting and added 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. But his -22 plus-minus reflected the team’s struggles while he was on the floor.
Austin Reaves chipped in 16 points, knocking down 3-of-8 from beyond the arc and going a perfect 3-of-3 from the line. Rui Hachimura scored 9 points on 3-of-9 shooting, grabbed 5 rebounds, and had 2 assists in 29 minutes. Rookie Dalen Knecht made the most of his limited minutes, scoring 5 points in just over 3 minutes on 2-of-4 shooting.
Luka Doncic was the standout performer for the other side. He dropped 37 points on an efficient 12-of-22 from the field, including 5-of-10 from three. He also made 8 of his 9 free throws, grabbed 8 boards, and had 1 assist and 2 steals.
The Lakers’ bench struggled to contribute. Jaxon Hayes went scoreless from the field and had just 1 point. Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Jordan Goodwin combined for only 5 points. Bronny James went 0-for-2 in 3 minutes, while Alex Len and Shake Milton also failed to score. Overall, the Lakers ended the night with 95 points, committed 13 turnovers, and were outscored by 22.
“Bad. Didn’t play very well…Got a couple shots to go in the third quarter, but through the whole midst of the game, I have to be better. I have to help us control the game better and like I said, I’ll watch the film and get better,” Austin Reaves said post-game.
“We have an opportunity on Tuesday to even up the series on our home court and go compete for two games on their home court,” he continued. “You never lose after the first game, second game, third game, to be honest. You gotta get beat four times or you gotta win four times,” Reaves added.
On the other hand, Jaden McDaniels led the Timberwolves with 25 points, while Naz Reid and Anthony Edwards scored 23 and 22 points, respectively.
