The Los Angeles Lakers continue to spiral, with their latest disappointment coming in a 97-87 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The defeat, their eighth in the last 11 games, highlighted ongoing issues for the team, including an abysmal 21 turnovers. After the game, a visibly frustrated Anthony Davis addressed the media, emphasizing the role turnovers played in the loss.
“22 turnovers. Can’t expect to win the game like that. Its our job taking care of basketball 22 plays that we didn’t get a shot on go. Think we did enough defensively. Just didn’t do enough offensively. You know turnovers play a big factor.”
“They’re a team who wants to pressure and create turnovers. We had 11 in the first quarter. We were able to combat that and give ourselves a chance to win. Cutting it to 6 and 5. Overall, it’s tough to win any basketball game when you have 22 turnovers.”
Turnovers have been a persistent problem for the Lakers during their slump. Against the Timberwolves, those mistakes directly contributed to missed opportunities and easy baskets for their opponents. This was the fourth game this season in which the Lakers committed 20 or more turnovers—a troubling trend for a team with championship aspirations.
The impact was evident in key moments. With LeBron James sidelined due to personal reasons, the Lakers lacked a steady hand to orchestrate their offense. Errant passes, miscommunications and poor decision-making plagued their play. The Timberwolves capitalized, extending their home dominance over the Lakers to 14-2 since the 2015-16 season.
The Lakers’ offensive struggles have become increasingly evident. Their offensive rating since November 21 has dropped to 29th in the league, a stark decline from their top-5 ranking earlier in the season. This regression was on full display against Minnesota, as the team shot just 38.4% from the field and an anemic 28.6% from beyond the arc.
Anthony Davis, who led the Lakers with 23 points and 11 rebounds, also pointed to their offensive inefficiency as a major concern. Davis has been one of the few bright spots for the team, but even his production has dipped compared to his blistering start to the season. The lack of support from his teammates has only exacerbated the Lakers’ issues.
With LeBron James absent, the Lakers needed significant contributions from their supporting cast. Austin Reaves, while scoring 18 points, shot just 37.5% from the field. Max Christie and Rui Hachimura chipped in with 15 and 9 points, respectively, but their combined inefficiency and turnovers further hampered the team.
D’Angelo Russell, expected to step up in James’ absence, had a night to forget. The guard managed only 5 points on 2-of-10 shooting while committing costly turnovers. This inconsistency has left Davis to shoulder much of the burden on both ends of the floor.
The loss dropped the Lakers to a 13-12 record, placing them 10th in the Western Conference. With tough matchups against the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings looming, the Lakers must address their turnover woes and offensive stagnation immediately.
For a team that began the season with high hopes, the road ahead looks daunting. Whether they can turn things around or remain stuck in mediocrity will depend on their ability to fix their glaring issues.
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