MINNEAPOLIS — Because the Lakers departed from the courtroom at Goal Middle with their heads down, white towels had been being whirled in every single place round them.
The gang was doing greater than celebrating the house staff’s 116-113 victory on Sunday afternoon. The 19,289 followers right here may see what was taking place. They might really feel what was taking place.
4 video games into this first-round sequence towards the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers haven’t found out what to do.
They haven’t found out learn how to cease Anthony Edwards. They haven’t found out learn how to cease the Timberwolves from overwhelming them within the paint. They haven’t found out learn how to cease their opponents from grabbing offensive rebound after offensive rebound.
Now, they’re down three video games to at least one, and one other defeat will end their season.
Two days after abdomen issues lowered him to virtually being an on-court spectator, Luka Doncic returned to attain 38 factors.
That didn’t matter.
LeBron James contributed in each dimension of the sport, ending with 27 factors, 12 rebounds, eight assists, three steals and three blocks.
That didn’t matter both.
Minnesota Timberwolves ahead Julius Randle celebrates through the fourth quarter of a 116-113 win over the Lakers in Recreation 4 of the primary spherical of the Western Convention playoffs Sunday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Occasions)
At this stage of the season, towards this explicit opponent, their shortcomings are outweighing the strengths, and coach JJ Redick doesn’t sound as if he has any solutions.
“Certainly played well enough to win,” Redick mentioned. “Gave the effort to win.”
Redick complained about a few late-game calls,and he was justified in doing so, however a referee’s whistle received’t be what saves the season.
The Timberwolves current matchup issues for the Lakers, and the Lakers may not have the required personnel to reverse their deficit.
In addition to Doncic and James performed, Edwards outshined them each, scoring a game-high 43 factors whereas additionally contributing 9 rebounds and 6 assists.
The Lakers’ desperation was maybe finest represented by Redick’s second-half substitutions: There weren’t any.
“We just made a decision at halftime,” Redick mentioned.
Lakers ahead LeBron James, prime, fouls Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards in closing seconds of Recreation 4 on Sunday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Occasions)
The staff’s third-quarter starters — Doncic, James, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Dorian Finney-Smith — performed your complete second half.
“Those guys,” Redick mentioned, “gave a lot.”
The Lakers scored a series-high 36 factors within the third quarter to take a 10-point lead within the fourth quarter however predictably ran out of gasoline towards a Timberwolves staff with a deeper roster.
“This is the playoffs,” Doncic mentioned. “Fatigue shouldn’t play a role.”
That doesn’t imply it received’t.
“It was tough,” Finney-Smith acknowledged.
The staff’s lack of a middle got here into even sharper focus, as Jaxson Hayes by no means reentered the sport after selecting up his second foul simply 4 minutes into the sport.
If the Lakers are to come back again from this three-games-to-one deficit, it’s going to begin with Doncic, who was mentioned by Redick to be throwing up “all afternoon” main as much as their Recreation 3 defeat.
Doncic mentioned he spent the day between Video games 3 and 4, “mostly laying down.”
“Today,” Doncic mentioned, “I felt better.”
And the Lakers began higher.
They did within the opening quarter what Redick implored them to do, which was to take higher care of the basketball.
They dedicated just one turnover within the first 12 minutes of the sport, after which they had been forward, 32-28.
They weren’t as cautious within the second quarter, nonetheless.
The Lakers turned over the ball 4 instances within the opening 5 minutes of the quarter. Their lead rapidly vanished, and so they went into halftime with a 61-58 deficit.
The Lakers deserved to be down by extra, however James and Doncic saved them within the sport by themselves, the 2 stars carrying practically your complete offensive load as Reaves’ minutes had been restricted by early foul bother.
Minnesota guard Anthony Edwards shoots over Lebron James and Luka Doncic in Recreation 4 Sunday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Occasions)
James and Doncic scored 22 and 21 factors within the first half, respectively. The final time the Lakers had a number of gamers rating 20 or extra factors in a single half of a postseason sport was on Might 31, 2002 towards the Sacramento Kings.
The 2 gamers who did it then: Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.
Solely three Lakers aside from James and Doncic scored within the first half: Hachimura, Finney-Smith and Hayes.
The Lakers opened the second half with a 14-0 run, with a three-pointer by Reaves extending their result in 72-61. They had been forward by as many as 12 factors, just for the Timberwolves to do towards them what they’ve carried out your complete sequence.
