Luka Doncic poured in 37 points in his much-anticipated Lakers playoff debut. Still, it wasn’t enough to overcome the Minnesota Timberwolves, who torched Los Angeles from deep in a dominant 117-95 Game 1 victory on Saturday night. Despite Doncic’s 16-point explosion in the opening quarter, the Lakers unraveled in the second, getting outscored 38-20 as Minnesota seized control and never looked back.
LeBron James added 19 points in his 18th postseason opener. However, the third-seeded Lakers — still searching for chemistry after adding Doncic just two months ago — were undone by porous defense and poor rotations that left Timberwolves shooters wide open all night.
Minnesota drilled a franchise playoff-record 21 threes on 42 attempts, with Jaden McDaniels scoring 25 and Naz Reid delivering 23 off the bench, including six triples. Superstar Anthony Edwards added 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists in an impressive performance.
The Lakers made a brief push in the fourth behind Doncic, cutting a 26-point deficit down to 12, but never seriously threatened. With Game 2 looming Tuesday in Los Angeles, the Lakers must regroup quickly or risk falling further behind a Timberwolves team oozing confidence and cohesion. Let’s provide a rating for every Laker on Saturday night.
Luka Doncic: A
Stats: 37 PTS, 8 REB (1 OREB, 7 DREB), 1 AST, 2 STL, 0 BLK, 5 TO, 3 PF, 12-22 FG, 5-10 3PT, 8-9 FT, -12, 40 MIN
Doncic was the lone bright spot for the Lakers in his playoff debut, torching the Timberwolves for 37 points on an efficient 12-for-22 shooting night. He started hot with 16 points in the opening quarter and kept the Lakers within striking distance as long as he could, adding eight rebounds and two steals. However, he only recorded one assist — a reflection of how disconnected the Lakers’ offense looked — and committed five turnovers in the face of Minnesota’s swarming defense. Despite the loss, Doncic’s star power and shot-making were undeniable.
LeBron James: B-
Stats: 19 PTS, 5 REB (1 OREB, 4 DREB), 3 AST, 2 STL, 3 BLK, 4 TO, 0 PF, 8-18 FG, 1-5 3PT, 2-2 FT, -22, 36 MIN
James delivered a decent all-around performance, scoring 19 points with five rebounds, three assists, and an impressive three blocks. He brought playoff intensity on defense, but his -22 plus/minus showed how little impact he had on turning the tide. His 8-for-18 shooting was fine, though he missed four of five attempts from deep and coughed up four turnovers. While his effort wasn’t lacking, the Lakers needed more offensive control from the veteran leader to weather Minnesota’s three-point onslaught.
Austin Reaves: C+
Stats: 16 PTS, 3 REB (0 OREB, 3 DREB), 3 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 2 TO, 3 PF, 5-13 FG, 3-8 3PT, 3-3 FT, -25, 37 MIN
Reaves chipped in 16 points and three assists, but he struggled to find rhythm, shooting 5-for-13 from the field and often appearing a step slow on defensive rotations. He knocked down three triples and was perfect from the line, but his lack of defensive presence and -25 plus/minus underscored a rough night on both ends. The Lakers need a more balanced and composed outing from Reaves if they’re going to compete in Game 2.
Rui Hachimura: C
Stats: 9 PTS, 5 REB (0 OREB, 5 DREB), 2 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 0 PF, 3-9 FG, 3-7 3PT, 0-0 FT, -26, 30 MIN
Hachimura had a quiet night offensively, scoring just nine points on 3-of-9 shooting while grabbing five boards. He hit three threes but contributed little else, failing to impact the paint or offer resistance against Minnesota’s wing scorers. With the Timberwolves firing from deep, his lack of defensive presence became glaring, and his -26 plus/minus reflected his struggles to keep up.
Jarred Vanderbilt: C
Stats: 7 PTS, 5 REB (2 OREB, 3 DREB), 1 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 0 TO, 3 PF, 3-4 FG, 0-0 3PT, 1-1 FT, +9, 19 MIN
Vanderbilt brought his usual hustle in limited minutes, posting seven points, five rebounds, and two steals in just 19 minutes. He was efficient (3-for-4 from the field) and had a team-best +9, standing out defensively when few others did. However, his offensive limitations and three fouls prevented him from staying on the floor longer. He may be the Lakers’ best bet to slow down Minnesota’s perimeter attack going forward.
Dalton Knecht: C-
Stats: 5 PTS, 3 REB (2 OREB, 1 DREB), 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 PF, 2-4 FG, 1-3 3PT, 0-0 FT, +1, 3 MIN
Knecht saw just three minutes of action but made a small mark with five points and three rebounds, including two offensive boards. He was aggressive and showed flashes of activity, though his limited court time and the blowout nature of the game made it hard to assess his true impact. Still, his energy in garbage time was a positive in an otherwise gloomy night.
Shake Milton: D
Stats: 3 PTS, 0 REB (0 OREB, 0 DREB), 1 AST, 0 STL, 1 BLK, 0 TO, 1 PF, 1-3 FG, 1-3 3PT, 0-0 FT, -2, 25 MIN
Milton played 25 minutes but made little impact, scoring just three points on 1-for-3 shooting while adding one assist and one block. He struggled to create offense or disrupt Minnesota’s rhythm on defense, and the Lakers needed far more from him off the bench to stabilize their second unit. His passive performance left L.A. exposed whenever Doncic sat.
Gabe Vincent: D
Stats: 2 PTS, 4 REB (2 OREB, 2 DREB), 2 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 PF, 1-3 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, -2, 14 MIN
Vincent logged 14 minutes and managed just two points, though he did grab four rebounds and hand out two assists. While he avoided mistakes and stayed within himself, his quiet performance did nothing to stem the tide during Minnesota’s runs. His inability to stretch the floor or apply pressure offensively was emblematic of the Lakers’ bench woes.
Jaxson Hayes: N/A
Stats: 1 PTS, 3 REB (2 OREB, 1 DREB), 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 PF, 0-2 FG, 0-0 3PT, 1-2 FT, -11, 8 MIN
Hayes played only eight minutes and missed both his shot attempts, finishing with one point from the free-throw line and three rebounds. He brought some effort on the glass but didn’t make a defensive impact and was a -11 in limited action. With the Wolves torching the Lakers from deep, Hayes’ interior presence wasn’t enough to warrant more minutes.
Alex Len: N/A
Stats: 0 PTS, 4 REB (3 OREB, 1 DREB), 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 PF, 0-1 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, +1, 3 MIN
Len played three minutes of garbage time, recording four rebounds (three offensive) but failing to score on his lone shot attempt. While his rebounding was solid in such a short stint, his limited mobility makes him a tough play against Minnesota’s five-out spacing attack. He was serviceable in mop-up duty, but he likely won’t see meaningful minutes barring foul trouble.
Jordan Goodwin: N/A
Stats: 0 PTS, 0 REB (0 OREB, 0 DREB), 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 0 PF, 0-1 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, +1, 3 MIN
Goodwin also saw just three minutes and failed to make an impact, missing his only shot and committing one turnover. While his defensive energy is normally a strength, the game was already out of reach by the time he entered, and his brief appearance didn’t provide any spark.
Bronny James: N/A
Stats: 0 PTS, 0 REB (0 OREB, 0 DREB), 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 1 PF, 0-2 FG, 0-2 3PT, 0-0 FT, +1, 3 MIN
Bronny played the final three minutes and missed both of his three-point attempts. He didn’t look overwhelmed, but he also didn’t provide any signs of a potential rotation role in the near future. His line stats underscore how little the Lakers got from their bench as a whole, and his development will be a longer-term project rather than a short-term solution.
