Timberwolves @ Lakers Game 1 Preview
The Lakers’ journey to capturing banner 18 begins tonight as they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in game one of the first round of the playoffs. Luka Doncic will make his Lakers playoff debut against one of the most talented young players in the league, Anthony Edwards.
Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals a year ago, and he looks to do the same this year with Los Angeles, but this time he hopes to lead his team to a title.
This may be a three seed versus a sixth seed in the standings, but only one game separated these teams in the regular season. The Timberwolves are a top-10 team in the league in both offense and defense, so this will not be an easy matchup for Los Angeles as they will have their work cut out for them.
The mentality for the Lakers going into this series should be to take one game at a time and not think of the series as a whole. With tip-off approaching, here are the Lakers’ keys to victory for Game 1 tonight.
Defend Home Court
Los Angeles has done a great job at home this season. They finished third with a 31-10 record at home, only trailing the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Many people count the playoffs as a new season, which is understandable, but the Lakers have to keep their home success going into the playoffs. Minnesota will look to do the same when the series heads there.
Luka Doncic Impact
Doncic started off a bit slowly with the Lakers, but since he’s found his groove, he’s back to being the dominant force everyone knows. In the last ten games to close out the season, Doncic averaged 29 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds per game while also shooting 38% from deep.
In last year’s playoff with Dallas, Doncic faced this same Timberwolves team in the Western Conference Finals and torched them. He averaged 32 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds in the five-game series.
The Lakers will need all they can get from Doncic because he is the main focal point for the Timberwolves. It’s crazy to say that because this is arguably the first time LeBron James has been the clear second or third option in terms of scoring in his career.
Slow Down Anthony Edwards
Edwards finished with another superb regular season. He finished fourth in scoring, averaging 27.4 points per game. He closed out the regular season with a 43-point performance against the Utah Jazz to secure a playoff berth.
Edwards has had a tough time in his career against Los Angeles, averaging only 19 points per game. Although he has struggled, the Lakers should not count on him to continue to struggle because Edwards is a great player and will do everything in his power to lead Minnesota past the Lakers.
This should be a fun series overall, and it all kicks off tonight at 5:30 p.m. as the Lakers host the Timberwolves in game one on ABC.
