Magic Johnson didn’t hold back after watching the Los Angeles Lakers collapse in Game 1 of their playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Lakers suffered a lopsided 117–95 loss at home, and for Magic, it was enough to fire off a rare public critique of both the team and rookie head coach JJ Redick.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Lakers legend wrote:
“Coach JJ Redick did a great job all season but he didn’t do a good job for Game 1. The Lakers stood around on offense, played too much one-on-one basketball, and he didn’t make any necessary adjustments.”
He followed it up with a stinging rebuke of the team’s energy:
“Tonight was one of the Lakers’ worst performances this season. They were flat, had no energy, and they played like it was a regular season game.”
Magic’s frustrations were echoed by Lakers fans who watched their team fall apart after a promising first quarter. The Lakers led 28–21 after 12 minutes, but it was all Timberwolves after that. Powered by red-hot shooting and balanced contributions across the roster, Minnesota outscored L.A. 96–67 over the final three quarters.
The Wolves shot 51.2% from the field and a blistering 50% from beyond the arc, making 21 of their 42 three-point attempts. In contrast, the Lakers hit just 36.6% from deep and 39.8% overall.
Luka Doncic was the lone bright spot for the Lakers, scoring 37 points on 12-of-22 shooting, but he had little help. LeBron James finished with a pedestrian 19 points and looked sluggish at times, while Austin Reaves, who’s become a reliable third option, struggled with 16 points on inefficient shooting.
The bench was nearly invisible, combining for just 12 points compared to 43 from Minnesota’s second unit.
Naz Reid, the newly crowned Sixth Man of the Year, torched the Lakers with 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting, while Jaden McDaniels surprised everyone by leading the Timberwolves with 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting.
Anthony Edwards added 22 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists in a complete performance. Minnesota’s youth, length, and depth overwhelmed a Lakers team that looked a step behind all night.
Magic Johnson’s criticism wasn’t just about execution, it was about effort and urgency.
For a team led by two superstars with championship aspirations, Game 1 felt more like a preseason scrimmage than a playoff opener.
And while Redick had a strong debut season as head coach, this was his first taste of postseason basketball, and the Timberwolves exposed that inexperience by winning the adjustment and intensity battles.
Still, as bad as the loss was, there’s no reason to hit the panic button, yet. As Magic himself knows, playoff series aren’t decided in one night.
The Timberwolves are unlikely to shoot 50% from three again, and the Lakers are unlikely to be this flat twice in a row. If Game 2 unfolds in the same fashion, then there will be serious concerns. But expect LeBron, Luka, and Redick to respond with a sense of urgency, physicality, and poise.
Game 2 is now a must-win, not just for the series, but to silence the growing noise and to keep Magic off their back.
