Before the Minnesota Timberwolves’ series against the Los Angeles Lakers began, most fans would have gladly taken a split of the first two games in L.A.— and that’s exactly what they got.
After a dominant showing in Game 1, the Timberwolves stumbled in Game 2, falling to the Lakers 94–85 on Tuesday night. The loss was largely shaped by a lopsided first quarter, where the Lakers came out with physicality and offensive firepower, outscoring Minnesota 34–15.
The Timberwolves showed flashes of resilience, especially on the defensive end, but the early 19-point hole proved too deep to climb out of.
Foul Trouble
One key factor in the Timberwolves’ rough start was early foul trouble.
Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, and several others picked up multiple fouls in the first half, disrupting the team’s offensive rhythm and allowing the Lakers frequent trips to the free-throw line. L.A. capitalized, going a perfect 20-for-20 from the stripe for the game.
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Poor Shooting
The game’s lack of flow, driven largely by physical play and compounded by frequent fouls, made it tough for the Timberwolves to establish any offensive rhythm.
As a result, they endured a rough shooting night, hitting just 38% from the field and a dismal 20% from three-point range. That’s a stark contrast to Game 1, when they shot 51% from the floor and 50% from beyond the arc.
A closer look makes the numbers even more troubling. Outside of Julius Randle, who was inarguably the Timberwolves’ best player in Game 2, and Anthony Edwards, the rest of the team combined to shoot just 11-for-40 from the field and 1-of-13 from deep.
The offensive struggles culminated in Minnesota’s lowest point total of the entire season: just 85 points.
It’s not Gobert’s defense, it’s his rebounding
Despite some criticism online and in the national media, Rudy Gobert delivered a solid defensive performance in Game 2. He was frequently targeted on switches, often pulled out to the perimeter by the likes of Luka Dončić, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves— but he held his own against the Lakers’ top offensive threats.
James and Dončić combined to shoot just 1-for-8 from the field and scored only two points when defended by Gobert. Reaves had slightly more success, going 2-for-4 for four points, but overall, Gobert was effective in containing these high-level scorers.
Where Gobert does need to step up is on the glass. After averaging nearly 11 rebounds per game during the regular season, he’s managed just six in each of the first two playoff games. That’s simply not enough, especially as the tallest player on the floor against a Lakers team that likes to play small.
Randle has been excellent
Julius Randle has been the Timberwolves’ most consistent and impactful player through the first two games of the series. He posted 16 points, five assists, and five rebounds in Sunday’s Game 1 win, then followed it up with a team-high 27 points and six assists in Game 2.
Randle has made smart decisions and picked his spots effectively, especially when exploiting mismatches against smaller defenders. There were concerns heading into the series that his playoff struggles in New York might carry over to Minnesota, but so far, that hasn’t been the case.
Edwards has yet to shine
Unlike Randle, Anthony Edwards has yet to truly break out in this series.
He put up a solid stat line in Game 1 — 22 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds — but struggled with efficiency. In Game 2, he was slow to find his rhythm, allowing the Lakers to build a significant early lead. While he finished with 25 points, his impact was muted, as he struggled to finish at the rim and convert from beyond the arc.
Through two games, Ant-Man has yet to reach his regular-season scoring average of 27 points. If the Timberwolves hope to advance to the second round, Edwards will need to be both more efficient and more assertive offensively.
Moving forward
There’s plenty for Timberwolves fans to be optimistic about as the series shifts to Minnesota for Games 3 and 4. The team accomplished its goal of splitting the first two games in L.A., effectively stealing home-court advantage. Defensively, they’ve been impressive, holding a high-powered Lakers offense to just 94.5 points per game so far.
Game 2 marked their lowest scoring and worst shooting performance of the season, but that seems more like an outlier than a trend. If the Timberwolves can rediscover their offensive rhythm while continuing to play tough, physical defense, they have a real shot at pulling off the first-round upset.
Game 3 tips off Friday night on ESPN, with Game 4 set for Sunday afternoon on ABC.
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