The Los Angeles Lakers came into Game 2 as slight underdogs after their embarrassing performance in Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. JJ Redick drove home that the Purple and Gold must play harder against a motivated Anthony Edwards and his team to make their championship dreams a reality.
While some fans may have worried about the Lakers’ chances of losing another home game, the team eventually got its act together in Game 2. Defense was the main talking point as the Lakers edged the Timberwolves in a low-scoring game.
The game may not have lived up to the high-scoring standards expected of modern NBA games, an analyst explained that the contest was eventually decided by how the two squads’ stars handled opposing defenses.
The Los Angeles Lakers edged the Minnesota Timberwolves thanks to the Luka Doncic-LeBron James duo
Fadeaway World’s Nico Martinez wrote in his post-game analysis that the Lakers’ superstar duo of Luka Doncic and LeBron James managed to outplay Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and Julius Randle to even out the series.
Doncic was the obvious star for the Purple and Gold in Game 2, finishing the night with an incredible 31 points, 12 boards, nine assists, and one block. However, Martinez argued that James’ was able to do enough to push the Lakers past the visitors:
While LeBron James didn’t shoot the ball well (21 points on 42.1% shooting), he was able to contribute in other ways that helped the Lakers win the game. Between his contributions (11 rebounds, nine assists, and one steal) and the scoring of Luka Doncic, the Lakers were able to maintain a steady separation from their opponents all night long until the final buzzer finally sounded at the end of the fourth quarter.
Comparatively, both Edwards and Randle had solid nights for the Wolves, scoring 25 and 27 points. However, they were the only outstanding offensive threats for Minnesota throughout the game.
The team’s third stars also played a role in the win. Austin Reaves had a solid game with 16 points on 50% shooting, five boards, and five assists. On the other hand, Gobert was a non-factor offensively. While he had two steals to his name, he ended up with six points and six boards while continuously getting targeted defensively.
The next game in the series is headed to the Twin Cities, and Redick hopes his Lakers squad will have what it takes to secure the series lead.
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