The Lakers returned to Los Angeles tonight and hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves, and while the team started the night out with what looked like excitement and urgency to be back home, they did not end that way and fell to the Wolves, 110-102.
“Too many times I felt like our energy was off, our effort was off,” Head Coach Darvin Ham commented after the game.
Tonight’s game marked the third without LeBron James and the fourth without D’Angelo Russell.
“We have more than enough capable players to go out and win a game—regardless of who we’re playing,” Coach Ham said.
The guys really seemed to be clicking the first 12 minutes; Anthony Davis went on a tear, scoring 16 points in the first quarter which resulted in 38 points and 8 rebounds for the big fella. Davis was the only one who produced consistent offense for Los Angeles.
Also in the first, Troy Brown Jr. And Malik Beasley came out of the gate knocking down threes, they combined for 3-for-3. TBJ ended his night with eight points, six rebounds, and three steals and Malik Beasley contributed 15 points and eight rebounds.
Los Angeles’ offense cooled off in the second quarter, but their defense was really secure. They were going into the second half down by just one, 56-55.
Then the third quarter is where things got dicey.
“It took us a half a quarter to adjust. That was the tale of the game right there, the first six minutes of the third quarter,” Davis said.
It was an uphill battle after that. The Lakers had a hard time closing in on the Wolves in the paint, they were outscored 56-44 on the night. Minnesota also had better success from three overall, they made 41.2% of their triples to the Lakers 32.3%.
The Lakers are fighting for a play-in spot in the postseason—fighting against the Wolves. They didn’t play locked in enough to secure the win; their urgency was fleeting.
“We’re doing basketball for a living and we’re playing for one of the most recognizable, historic franchises on the face of the earth—the most. If that doesn’t motivate you to be the best version of yourself, I don’t know what will,” Coach Ham declared.
