The Los Angeles Lakers fell short in their NBA rematch against the Minnesota Timberwolves, delivering a lackluster performance in what marked another tough night for head coach JJ Redick’s squad. According to Redick, turnovers were the biggest factor in the defeat.
The Lakers committed 22 turnovers compared to Minnesota’s 14. While L.A. managed to score just 12 points off the Timberwolves’ mistakes, Minnesota capitalized on the Lakers’ errors, turning them into 27 points. The turnover disparity ultimately sealed the Lakers’ fate.
Following the game, Redick addressed the issue during his postgame remarks. “They (turnovers) came in a number of ways,” Redick said via Spectrum SportsNet. “Some passes that we tried to fit through tight windows. You never want to inbound the ball to the other team after a made field goal and give up a dunk.”
“Some of it was not holding our positioning and timing our sort of physicality to get open on ‘Horns,’” Redick added. “I think we had three turnovers just on ‘Horns’ alone. Yeah, it killed us.”
JJ Redick head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Miami Heat during the second half at Kaseya Center. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Anthony Davis not worried about turnovers as a long-term concern
Despite the disappointing result, turnovers have not been a persistent issue for the Lakers this season. The team ranks sixth in the NBA in fewest turnovers per game and 12th in opponent points off turnovers.
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NBA News: Anthony Davis makes something clear about Lakers’ turnovers in loss against Timberwolves
Anthony Davis, one of the few standouts for the Lakers during the game, downplayed the concern over turnovers becoming a trend. “I don’t think it’s a concern,” Davis explained. “We’ve been really good taking care of the basketball. Just turned it over tonight.”
Max Christie shares Davis’ optimism
While the Lakers struggled offensively, only Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura, and Max Christie managed to score in double figures. Christie acknowledged the turnover problem but expressed confidence in the team’s ability to recover.
“Tonight, turnovers were an issue,” Christie said. “Other nights, it can be other things offensively. But it’s just a little bump in the road that we gotta fix. We got enough firepower with the guys in this room that we know we can score 110 points a game, like you said. So it’s just a blip for us, and we’re not concerned—it’s a long season.”
