Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick did not sugarcoat the situation after a crushing Game 3 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. In his postgame comments, Redick was brutally honest about the Lakers’ defensive failures, especially when asked about Anthony Edwards slicing through the defense at will.
“I think it was across the board. It wasn’t just him. We couldn’t contain the ball tonight. Our closeouts in the first quarter were God awful. He just got into the teeth of our defense too much. The fact is we don’t have rim protection. And you had McDaniels absolutely kill us.”
Redick’s assessment captures the frustration felt by Lakers fans after the team squandered a golden opportunity to take control of the series. Despite LeBron James putting on a vintage 38-point performance, Los Angeles could not overcome their defensive deficiencies, falling 116-104 and now trailing 2-1 in the series.
The defensive collapse started early. The Timberwolves repeatedly exploited the Lakers’ inability to stop dribble penetration, and by the second half, Minnesota was finding wide-open shots both at the rim and beyond the arc.
Jaden McDaniels led all scorers with 30 points, while Anthony Edwards added 29 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists, picking apart the Lakers’ rotations.
One of the most glaring issues, as Redick pointed out, was the complete absence of any interior presence. Without a dominant shot-blocker or a true rim enforcer, the Lakers were helpless once their perimeter defenders were beaten off the dribble.
The Timberwolves scored 56 points in the paint compared to just 26 for Los Angeles, underlining the mismatch in physicality and execution around the basket.
Turnovers made the Lakers’ night even worse. Careless passes, miscommunications, and poor ball-handling plagued the team, leading to 19 turnovers that directly translated into 23 points for Minnesota.
For a team that relies heavily on half-court execution, these giveaways were backbreakers, allowing the Timberwolves to build momentum through easy transition buckets.
Although LeBron did everything he could, getting little help from his supporting cast hurt the Lakers’ chances. Luka Doncic, battling a stomach bug, looked out of sorts and managed only 17 points on 6-of-16 shooting.
Austin Reaves contributed 20 points but struggled to create efficient offense down the stretch. No other Laker reached double figures until garbage time, highlighting the team’s overreliance on James to carry the scoring load.
Missed free throws also contributed to the Lakers’ downfall. They shot just 65% from the line, missing seven crucial points in a game that remained tight until the final minutes. The Lakers have typically been one of the better free-throw shooting teams during the season, but their composure completely unraveled in Game 3.
Now, the Lakers find themselves in a precarious spot. They must win Game 4 at the hostile Target Center to avoid falling into a 3-1 hole, a deficit that would be extremely difficult to overcome against a Timberwolves team that is playing with confidence and defensive intensity.
JJ Redick and the Lakers will need to regroup quickly. Defensive adjustments, better ball security, and more contributions from the supporting cast are non-negotiable if they are to save their season. Sunday’s Game 4 is shaping up to be a defining moment for this Lakers squad.
