In a game with major standings implications for both teams, the Lakers rode a masterful defensive performance in the second half to take down the Timberwolves 123-111. The win moves the Lakers to one game over .500 and allows them leapfrog Minnesota and New Orleans into 7th in the Western Conference.
While it was a great team effort on both sides of the ball to get the victory, Anthony Davis led the way again for the Lakers with a wonderful two-way performance. Davis, who suffered a sprained ankle midway through the 3rd quarter but stayed in while clearly hobbled, dominated the Wolves to the tune of 38 points, 17 rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.
Davis, who scored 19 of those points after turning his ankle and 17 in the 4th quarter, was clearly hobbled after going down, but still managed to have a high-impact performance on both ends, deterring shots in the paint defensively and then attacking Minnesota inside to score at the rim on offense. Down the stretch the Lakers went to Davis possession after possession, and he delivered with one big bucket after another to close out the game.
While the Lakers don’t win this game without Davis’ spectacular performance individually, it was their team effort defensively that was just as big a factor in the final result. After scoring 65 points and carrying a 10-point lead into the 3rd quarter, Minnesota managed only 46 in the entire 2nd half, with 10 of those coming late in the game where the Lakers were mostly conceding baskets against a short clock.
Led by Dennis Schröder’s ball pressure, hustle, and instincts to get into passing lanes and pounce on unsuspecting T’Wolves for poke-aways and steals, the Lakers turned up their defensive intensity in the 3rd quarter to force stops and create turnovers.
The defensive stops fueled the Lakers offense, allowing them to get out in the open court and score before Minnesota could get set. The Lakers tallied 14 points in transition in the period, setting the tone for what ended up a 24-2 run and allowing them to turn the game around in the process.
Rui Hachimura was also wonderful defensively, flashing versatility that showed him guard multiple players over the course of the second half. Whether he was using his strength to battle Karl Anthony-Towns (23 points, 8-18 shooting) and deny him good post position or his length to contest shots by Kyle Anderson and Taurean Prince, Rui leveraged his physical tools to contest shots and bother his individual matchup into misses all over the floor.
And while great defense is the result of all five players operating on the same page, much of the Lakers damage on that side of the ball came when Hachimura and Schröder shared the floor. In their 13 minutes of combined action, the Lakers posted a defensive rating of 37.9, holding Minnesota to 11 points on 5-22 shooting in those minutes.
Back on the offensive side of the ball, the Lakers were led by AD, but five other Lakers scored in double figures — including the entire starting lineup. LeBron James led the rest of the group with 18 points (7-19 shooting), to go along with 10 rebounds and six assists. D’Angelo Russell, making his return to Minnesota for the first time since the February trade that brought him back to the Lakers, added a double-double of his own with 12 points and 10 assists.
On the Timberwolves side, Mike Conley led the way with 25 points, seven assists, and three rebounds on 7-11 shooting. With Anthony Edwards (11 points, 4-16 shooting) held below his normal production, the Wolves rode Conley’s hot hand in the first half to jump out to their lead, looking poised to keep their strong play going behind their lead guard’s performance.
With the Lakers tightening the screws defensively in the second half, however, it was not meant to be. They seized control of the game and never gave it back, showing a combination of resiliency and then poise down the stretch to pull out a critical win.
The Lakers will look to continue their momentum on this “get back” road trip when they visit the Rockets in Houston on Sunday.
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