Lakers offense struggles in loss to Wolves
The LeBron James-less Lakers were handed their 12th loss of the season Friday night as they fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the second time in eleven days by a score of 97-87.
Los Angeles has lost four of its last five games, all on the road. Here are the key takeaways from its performance tonight.
I want to gauge my eyes out… pic.twitter.com/67JytlFnzI
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) December 14, 2024
Turnovers, Turnovers, Turnovers
The Lakers’ offense struggled with turnovers throughout the course of the game, committing seven in the first quarter alone. For the majority of the first frame, they had more giveaways than field goals made.
The Purple and Gold also had turnovers during crucial possessions, including one under their own basket with 2 minutes to go that pushed the Wolves’ lead up to seven, where Minnesota did not look back. The Lakers finished with 20 turnovers on the night.
Struggles From Downtown
Difficulties from downtown have been common for Los Angeles this season, and it loomed large once again in this game.
The Lakers shot just 10/35 (28%) from three, including a 1/7 performance from D’Angelo Russell, whose shooting came back down to earth after a 28-point performance in the Lakers’ previous game against the Blazers.
Rui Hachimura, Cam Reddish, and Dalton Knecht also shot a combined 0-8 from three, as JJ Redick and Co. could not find someone to help fill the void left on offense with LeBron James out.
Failing to Capitalize on Good Defense
One of the few positives from the game came on the defensive end from the Lakers, as they held the Wolves to 40% shooting from the field and 28% from three.
They once again forced star Anthony Edwards into difficult shots, holding him to 23 points on 20 shots and five turnovers to go along with just one assist.
However, the Lakers failed to capitalize on the impressive defensive effort, giving the Wolves 27 points off turnovers. This allowed them to win the game via fastbreaks and quick offense rather than forcing Minnesota to grind things out in the halfcourt, where they were having trouble scoring throughout the game.
The loss drops the Lakers to 13-12. As the season continues to move past the quarter mark, they are only half a game ahead of the 12th seed. LA will be back in action Sunday as they take on the red-hot Memphis Grizzlies.
