Game 2 of the series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves has been highly anticipated by fans of both squads, as the Lakers hope to tie the series up at home before heading to Minnesota for Games 3 and 4. This series is a continuation of the rivalry between Luka Doncic and Anthony Edwards, which started in the 2024 Playoffs.
Both stars respect each other, but are fierce competitors also. This was evident when Edwards was looking for Doncic while the Lakers were warming up before Game 2. After finding Luka, it seems Edwards talked some trash to the Slovenian guard, with the pair exchanging a chuckle afterwards.
Ant walked through Lakers warmups to trash talk Luka before Game 2 😠pic.twitter.com/lEenPRBexY
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 23, 2025
Everyone knows what happens when someone trash-talks Doncic, as he goes out of his way to embarrass them on the court. While what Edwards did seemed harmless and in good humor, it was enough to motivate Doncic into setting the Timberwolves alight in the first quarter of the game.
Doncic scored 16 points (4-7 FG), three rebounds, and two assists while the Timberwolves managed 15 as a squad. This is the third time Luka has outscored an entire team in the first quarter of a Playoff game, with the Wolves being on the wrong side of this for the second time now.
Edwards did try to stop the bleeding with six points (2-4 FG) and one rebound in the first quarter himself, but Doncic was simply unstoppable. None of the Wolves defenders had any response to him effortlessly finishing at the rim or splashing threes on them.
Simultaneously, the Lakers’ defense looks like an entirely new beast after their lackluster showing in Game 1. They’re enjoying an early 20-point lead in this game but they have to stay locked in to ensure the Wolves can’t come charging back to pick up a major comeback win.
This is as close to a must-win Game 2 for the Lakers as they’ve had in years. They would completely lose home-court advantage and be forced to beat the Wolves twice on the road just to keep the series even.
Instead, splitting the series at home before heading to Minnesota would potentially make them the favorites to advance once again.
Edwards might regret waking the dragon known as Luka Doncic up, but it’s fair to say Luka always wakes up in the Playoffs. He dominated the Wolves while representing the Dallas Mavericks last season and will hope to repeat that with the Lakers in the 2025 Playoffs.
