OUTWORKED and outplayed by Minnesota in Game 1, the Lakers know they must find some toughness if they are to bounce back in the first round of the NBA playoffs while the league hopes LA’s biggest stars stick around long enough to boost viewing figures.
LeBron James and Luka Doncic are still a long way from a shocking exit but while the Lakers did not press the panic button after Saturday’s 117-95 mauling in Los Angeles, they know they are battling a team with superior strength, speed and size.
“When you play the Minnesota team, you got to be physical. That’s what they bring to the table,” James said.
“So maybe it took us one playoff game to now get a feel for the type of intensity, the type of physicality that’s going to be brought to the game, but that’s just the way they play.”
The Lakers looked good in the first quarter as Doncic got off to a hot start, finishing with a game-high 37 points, but from the second quarter onward, the Timberwolves were in control.
Anthony Edwards smartly broke down the Lakers’ defense to score 22 points, eight rebounds and nine assists as part of a balanced Minnesota attack that also saw big contributions from Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid.
Minnesota had been given little chance ahead of Game 1, with many media outlets predicting a Lakers’ sweep, and Edwards said he had told his teammates to use that as fuel.
