The Los Angeles Lakers opened their NBA Playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a surprising and humbling 117–95 loss in Game 1. Despite an explosive outing from Luka Doncic, the Lakers struggled to find rhythm as Minnesota’s intensity overwhelmed them from the second quarter onward.
Doncic, who led the Lakers with 38 points, eight rebounds, and five assists on 12-of-22 shooting (5-of-10 from three), couldn’t carry the team on his own. After the game, he addressed questions about whether he needs to involve his teammates more offensively. His answer raised eyebrows.
“Yeah, sure. I don’t know how to respond to that one, really,” Doncic said. “I guess I’ve got to pass more. I just try to set the tone early, but obviously you want assists. That’s not good enough for me.”
LeBron: “We have to control the controllables”
Lakers veteran LeBron James echoed the need for adjustments, particularly on the defensive end. “Obviously, we’ve got to do a better job controlling the controllables,” James told reporters. “I don’t think we did a good enough job after the first quarter. They blitzed us in that second quarter—38 to 20. But giving up 21 threes, 20-plus fast-break points, second-chance points—those are things we can control.”
LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers directs a play as he is guarded by Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half at Crypto.com Arena on February 27, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
James emphasized that Minnesota’s perimeter shooting and transition play exploited the Lakers’ lapses. “We know they have a lot of lasers—guys who can shoot from the perimeter,” he said. “We’ve got to do a better job of closing out, getting a body on shooters. We’ll get back in the film room, look at what we did well, what we didn’t do well, and get ready for Game 2. We’ve got a couple of days to prep.”
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Adjusting to Minnesota’s physicality
James also acknowledged that the Timberwolves’ physical style caught the Lakers off guard in the NBA playoffs. “When you play Minnesota, you’ve got to be physical—that’s what they bring,” James said. “Maybe it took one playoff game for us to feel the type of intensity and physicality they’re going to bring. But that’s just the way they play. We should be more than prepared for that on Tuesday night.”
