The Physicality Issue
From the opening tip to the final buzzer, Minnesota brought relentless intensity. Julius Randle set the tone early with a hard elbow to LeBron James, and the Timberwolves never eased up. They outpaced, outmuscled, and outplayed their opponents for all 48 minutes.
āWhen you face a team like Minnesota, you expect physicalityāthatās their identity,ā James told Yahoo Sports after the defeat. āMaybe it took us that first playoff game to truly understand the level of intensity and physical play they bring, but thatās just who they are.ā
The energy that fueled L.A.’s strong start in the first quarter had completely disappeared by halftime.
Redick Gets Honest About Lakersā Game 1 Issues
Rookie head coach JJ Redick was candid in his evaluation.
āI donāt know if we were physically prepared, if that makes sense,ā Redick said, according to Yahoo Sports. āOnce they ramped up the intensity and physicality, we didnāt respond right away.ā
It was evident. The Lakers appeared to be reacting rather than taking control. Even though they won the free-throw battle (16 attempts compared to Minnesotaās 10), the physicality and pressure were clearly on the side of the visitors.
Lakers Must Answer the Call
Tuesdayās Game 2 is now essentially a must-winānot just to even the series, but to show they can rise to the occasion.
For the league, the stakes are even higher. A quick exit for the Lakers would mean sidelining both LeBron and Luka Doncic earlyātwo of the NBAās biggest starsāat a time when TV ratings are being closely watched.
Minnesota, on the other hand, isnāt concerned with the storylines.
Anthony Edwards was straightforward: āWeāre the underdogs. I told my teammates to be aggressive and come out ready to fight.ā
And they did. If the Lakers donāt respond, the Timberwolves could take control of this series.
