The Los Angeles Lakers picked up a much-needed 94-85 Game 2 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves to tie their first-round series up. After a disappointing Game 1 loss at home, the Lakers will now head to Minnesota for Games 3 and 4 with the series at 1-1.
Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 31 points (9-20 FG), 12 rebounds, and nine assists, trash-talking his opponents relentlessly as the game went on. LeBron James did his part with 21 points (8-19 FG), 11 rebounds, and seven assists. Austin Reaves put up 16 points (7-14 FG) with five rebounds and five assists, while Rui Hachimura capped off the double-digit scorers with 11 points (4-9 FG).
Lakers fans were glad to have pulled this win off after letting the Wolves back into the contest by almost blowing a 20-point lead.
“Luka Doncic would rather draw 25 in UNO than pass up a chance to attack Rudy Gobert,” said a fan about Luka’s constant attacks on Rudy Gobert.
“Gobert really turns into that tap dancing Looney Tunes frog whenever he sees Luka,” said another fan joking about the Gobert-Luka matchup.
“Luka is the definition of a floor general, how the f**k can you be this good at basketball. He’s been terrific on both ends of the floor as well!” said a fan who was impressed with how Luka conducts the Lakers’ offense.
“LeBron’s the Lakers’ most important defender. His defensive effort will always be the tone setter,” pointed out a fan about LeBron’s new role on the Lakers.
“Having someone like Luka to carry the offense so LeBron can pour everything into the defensive end, making me shed some real tears, man,” said another fan about LeBron’s increased defensive responsibilities.
“I’m sorry, these are supposed to be the best of the best when it comes to referees?! This is one of the most poorly officiated playoff games so far this season,” said a fan, criticizing another poorly officiated game.
The Wolves were led by Julius Randle, scoring 27 points (9-17 FG) with six assists, while Anthony Edwards complemented him with 25 points (10-22 FG) and six rebounds. No other player managed to score in double-digits, with Game 1 hero Naz Reid managing just nine points (3-8 FG) as their third-leading scorer on the night.
This was one of the worst offensive games of the Playoffs so far, as both teams seemed to miss a lot of easy shots. The defense was aggressive, but it seems both teams were not at their best tonight. Doncic’s offensive explosion gave the Lakers the breathing room they needed to win this one and keep their series alive.
Games 3 and 4 will take place at the Target Center in Minnesota, with the franchise hoping to maximize their home-court advantage by ensuring the Lakers return to their home with a 1-3 deficit by the time Game 5 comes around.
