The Minnesota Timberwolves got the job done and completed the gentleman’s sweep against LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and the LA Lakers. Before the series, the Lakers were heavy favorites, and their fans showed no shortage of trash talk. However, Minnesota quickly proved to them that the Wolves weren’t messing around, despite being the underdog.
Game 1: The series started on a heater. After a lackluster first quarter (21-28 LA), the Wolves started pulling away, and LA didn’t have an answer. They went an absurd 21/42 from three, with Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid hitting at least four. On the other hand, the Lakers only shot 36% from three & 39% from the field. Jaden McDaniels was the clear standout in this game, as he dropped 25 points, nine rebounds, and shot a bizarre 11/13. In an immediate tone-setter, the Wolves snatched game one in LA, 117-95.
Game 2: The Lakers couldn’t afford to go down 0-2 with two straight home games and needed to make a statement, and that’s precisely what they did. Luka Doncic handed Minnesota 31 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists and led the way to a huge win. LA didn’t miss a single free throw (20/20) and outrebounded Minnesota 41-34, ultimately paving the way for LA. The Lakers also defended Edwards incredibly, allowing him to have zero assists. The biggest bright spot for Minnesota in this game was Julius Randle’s 27-point performance. Anthony Edwards was the only player outside of Randle to get into double figures. Wolves shooting splits struggled, going 30/79 (38%) and only making a measly five threes. Lakers didn’t allow the Wolves to make shots, which paid off. The final score was 85-94, giving the Lakers a much-needed boost going to Minnesota for games 3 & 4.
Game 3: If the Wolves wanted to be taken seriously, they needed to take their home games. They started strong, winning the first quarter 32-26. However, it was in the second quarter that LA rallied. At halftime, the Lakers found themselves on top 58-54, winning the second quarter by 10. However, a switch was flipped during the break. Like the previous two games, Minnesota took over in the second half. They outscored LA by 16 in the second half. In my opinion, this was the Wolves’ overall best game of the series. Anthony Edwards had an incredible game with 29 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and three steals (steals + blocks). Despite Edwards’s all-around greatness, Jaden McDaniels was the unsung hero. Jaden McDaniels proved he’s a playoff riser, putting up 30 points, five rebounds, and two steals, once again solidifying himself as a scary two-way threat. The team allowed a 38-point night from LeBron James, but counteracted it with a measly 17-point night from Luka Doncic. The star-studded duo is widely considered to be unguardable, but Minnesota has done as good a job as anyone. The final score was 116-104 in favor of Minnesota, creating a massive statement for the rest of the series.
Game 4: This was the game that I went to, and boy, was it incredible. The entire night felt like a physical battle that went neck-and-neck. The Lakers got the first strike, managing a 32-28 first-quarter lead. Minnesota combated it in the second, winning the fight 33-26, giving the Wolves a two-point lead going into intermission. Usually, the third quarter was Minnesota’s. However, this time the Lakers dominated. They quickly erased the wolves’ slim lead and at one point led by 15. Minnesota could feel it slipping away from them, but the Lakers made a crucial mistake in the second half that ultimately shot themselves in the foot. Their head coach, J.J. Redick, made the horrible decision not to make a single substitution for twenty-four minutes of the second half. Predictably, 40-year-old LeBron James and the other four players (Luka Doncic, Dorian Finney-Smith, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura) ran out of gas. They had no answer for Minnesota in the fourth quarter, sparking a big comeback. Anthony Edwards led the way, playing arguably the best game of his career. Not only did he drop 43 points, but he also had nine rebounds, six assists, five three-pointers, and made good decisions all night. The Wolves pulled away 116-113 in a close, energetic battle to go up three games to one.
Game 5: For Minnesota to steal this game, many variables must be perfect. The game was in LA, so the Wolves were already disadvantaged. The Wolves, and Minnesota sports in general, tend to choke leads, so Minnesota was not in the clear quite yet, despite having a commanding 3-1 lead over the Lakers. LeBron James is one of, if not the greatest, basketball players of all time, so if anyone was going to come back, it’s LeBron. With all that, Minnesota had to find a way to close out the series, with a lot going against them. That’s exactly what Minnesota did. As a whole, the Wolves didn’t play well at all. In fact, it was the worst three-point-shooting performance in a playoff win in NBA history. The wolves shot 7/47 from three-point range, a choppy 14.9%. Anthony Edwards shot 5/19 & 0/11 from three. Naz Reid only managed three points.
How did Minnesota find a way to win this game? It was all because of Rudy Gobert. In the previous four games, Rudy Gobert had done virtually nothing offensively in the series. Minnesota struggled to get him the ball and create looks for him. However, when it mattered most, Rudy Gobert dominated on the biggest stage. He collected a playoff-career-high 27 points & another playoff-career-high 24 (nine offensive, fifteen defensive) rebounds. Along with that, he went 12/15 shooting, posted two blocks, and led the team with a +/- of +18. Rudy Gobert single-handedly carried Minnesota to a 103-96 win, officially closing out the series.
For Minnesota to continue its postseason run, it’ll need consistent contributions from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Donte DiVincenzo, and Naz Reid (something missing in the Lakers series). Julius Randle needs to continue his postseason success after his incredible series against LA. The Wolves will face Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in round two of the Western Conference semifinals. Since the Warriors are the 7th seed, the Wolves will have home-court advantage.
