The Los Angeles Lakers got a critical win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night. After suffering a lopsided loss in Game 1 by a score of 117-95, L.A. looked significantly better in Game 2 on both sides of the ball. The Lakers grabbed the lead very early on in the first quarter and managed to hold it for the entire game, defeating the Timberwolves, 94-85. After having already surrendered home court advantage, winning Game 2 was absolutely crucial for the Lakers, who would have wanted to avoid going to Minnesota down 2-0 at all costs.
LeBron And Luka Lead The Way
Despite scoring less than 100 points as a team, the Lakers’ star players still managed to make a big impact on offense. In many aspects, Los Angeles’ star duo paved the way for the team to earn a much needed bounce back win. Just like he did in Game 1, Luka Doncic led the Purple and Gold in scoring, finishing the game with 31 points. Doncic also got 12 rebounds and 9 assists on a night where he had the best plus/minus of any player on either team.
In his NBA record 289th career playoff game, LeBron James put up a balanced statline of 21 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal. It was James’ 142nd career double-double in the postseason, putting him tied for 3rd on the all-time list with Shaquille O’Neal.
Pivotal Game 3 On Friday Night
The Lakers’ Game 2 victory has given them a foothold back in this series after the massive disappointment of Game 1. L.A. will aim to take control of the series on Friday night in Minnesota. Despite having one of the best home records in the NBA this season (31-10), the Lakers have a poor overall record on the road (19-22). In fact, they have the fewest away wins this season of any team in the Western Conference that made the playoffs. On the opposing side, the Timberwolves have been an above average home team, winning 25 of their 41 home games in the regular season.
The Lakers also did not fare well in Minnesota in their previous meetings. L.A. lost both times they played on the road against the Timberwolves this season, both of which came in December 2024. The Lakers lost 109-80 on December 2nd and then again on December 13th by a score 97-87. LeBron James did not play in the latter meeting.
It is, of course, worth noting that both of those meetings came before the Lakers made the monumental move to acquire Luka Doncic—a move which has added new hope and expectations to their season. As things stand right now, the Lakers have the fifth-best odds to win the NBA Championship at +2100, behind the Thunder, Celtics, Cavaliers, and Warriors.
