The Los Angeles Lakers fell 116-104 in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, putting them in a 2-1 hole in this best-of-seven series.
Luka Doncic didn’t have a great game by his high standards, finishing with 17 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds while shooting 6/16 from the floor and 2/8 from three. LeBron James tried to make up for it with 38 points in a vintage performance, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, and Anthony Edwards combining for 81 points.
Doncic’s performance was subpar enough for JJ Redick to announce that Donci was dealing with a stomach issue and that he was vomiting all day. He still put in 41 minutes, but he was clearly under the weather. However, a former Dallas Mavericks employee wasn’t pleased with his performance and took to Twitter/X to call him out.
Jeremias Engelmann is a former data analyst for the Mavs but also helped develop ESPN’s “Real Plus-Minus” statistic. But to call out Doncic’s effort for a statistic that was basically made up during last year’s NBA Finals feels disingenuous. Especially considering what Doncic was dealing with physically in this game.
Doncic’s defense was fine in Game 1 and borderline great in Game 2. Knowing how competitive he is, especially against the Timberwolves, expect him to bounce back in a big way in Game 4 on Sunday afternoon.
