Luka Doncic scored 31 points as La Lakers returned to tie the first round Western Conference Playoff series with Minnesota Timberwolves.
Luka Doncic scored 16 of 31 points in the first quarter, adding 12 rebounds and nine assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers even out the first round of the Western Conference playoff series with a 94-85 victory over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves.
LeBron James added 21 points and 11 rebounds, while the Austin Raves scored 16 points, while Louis Hachimura scored 11 as the 11-seeded Lakers rebounded from a loss of 22 points in the series opener on Saturday.
“It was a question of whether we were more physical and I think we showed that,” Donsic said Tuesday. “We were there for 48 minutes, growing up in the first quarter and learning from the last game.
Game 3 took place in Minneapolis on Friday, with the Timberwolves 2-0 against Los Angeles in the regular season.
Julius Randle scored 27 points, while Anthony Edwards added 25 points to the Timberwolves. The Timberwolves shot 38% off the field after shooting 51.2% in Game 1, 21 out of 42 from the 3-point range. Minnesota hit five low-season 3-pointers in 25 attempts in Game 2, earning the lowest points of this season.
“Every time I caught the ball, it felt like they were in the zone in a way,” Edwards said. “It was a mess at times, but we’re ready to watch the movie (for Game 3).
Jaden McDaniels finished with eight points for the Timberwolves after winning Team High 25 in Game 1.
Los Angeles cried out to a double-digit lead within seven minutes of the game. The Lakers rose 34-15 at the end of the first quarter, shooting 55% while holding Minnesota at 27.8%.
Huathan went to the locker room in the first quarter after accidentally hitting the face by Naz Reid of the Timberwolves. He returned midway through the second quarter wearing a protective mask.
The Lakers led by 22 points in the first half, moving up 58-43 at halftime.
“When we were organized in the right place, we ran some good things, and frankly, we thought we missed out on some open three,” said coach JJ Reddick in Los Angeles. “(Reaves) got some great looks. We had a good offense, except for a few confused plays. As a coach, you could see it coming. We just wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page.”
Minnesota was 62-51 under 11 points, with 7 minutes and 48 seconds remaining in the third quarter before Los Angeles scored a 9-0 run with a 71-51 advantage.
The Timberwolves pulled into single digits, 86-77 with 6:27 minutes left on a fadeaway from McDaniels. They were the closest since 15-8 in the first quarter.
The Wolves were again within nine points, with James stealing and cost layups from the coast on a 92-81 lead, leaving within nine points with 2:40 minutes left.
“We played individually to some people, but we didn’t connect the dots tonight,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. “That’s what we were doing really well, but it was a super-physical game.”