What LeBron James, Lakers got wrong in blowout loss to Anthony Edwards’ Timberwolves in Game 1

The Lakers got blown out at Crypto.com Arena despite Luka Doncic scoring 37 points as the Wolves held LeBron James in check.

What LeBron James, Lakers got wrong in blowout loss to Anthony Edwards’ Timberwolves in Game 1

LeBron James, Luka Doncic

With Luka Doncic joining hands with LeBron James in a wildly unexpected fashion in Los Angeles, many NBA fans tipped the Lakers to be a top team in the Western Conference playoff sweepstakes. The team received a jolt to life as the irresistible duo prospered in their first few weeks together.

However, cracks began appearing in the Lakers’ armor starting with their game against the Boston Celtics in March. Despite not playing Kristaps Porzingis, the defending champions were able to seal a comfortable win against the Lakers. The team then lost James to injury and lost six out of eight games in the next two weeks.

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The Lakers’ down times coincided with a few Western Conference contenders getting their act together. Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle and the Timberwolves were among the teams that had a redoubtable run of results in the last three months.

The Lakers managed to hang on to the third seed with a late surge, finishing the season 50-32. They entered the playoffs with their first true homecourt advantage in the LeBron James era. However, this was put paid to by their blowout loss to Minnesota in Game 1 of the series last night.

After initially taking a seven-point lead in the second quarter, the Lakers surrendered a 20-point lead in the third period to Anthony Edwards and co. LeBron James started the game off in ignominious fashion, missing all of his shots in the first quarter. The Lakers were not able to get back into the game despite Luka Doncic tallying 37 points on the night. Let’s take a closer look at what the team got wrong in Game 1.

The Lakers did not show up with enough defensive intensity

After starting the second period with a 28-21 lead, the Lakers were unable to keep their defensive intensity going. Jaden McDaniels was allowed to go off for a whopping 11-of-13 on the floor. The All-Defensive team candidate finished with 25 points – his highest playoff score ever. Much of the blame for this falls on James and Rui Hachimura, who doubled off the wing player and allowed him easy driving lanes.

Beyond this being a scheme issue, head coach JJ Redick also signaled that the Lakers’ effort levels were low. Speaking to the press both during the game and in post-game pressers, Redick indicated his disappointment with their lack of intensity. Redick alluded to the Lakers only giving a ‘regular season’ level effort on that end in his sideline interview.

LeBron James and Luka Doncic lost them the turnover battle

When two playoff teams are closely matched in caliber, the hustle plays are often the deciding factors in their faceoffs. This rang true during game 1 of this series as well. James, Doncic and Austin Reaves combined for 11 turnovers – 2 more than the whole Timberwolves starting lineup. James, in particular, was quite callous with the ball.

Another factor that affected the outcome was the Lakers losing the rebounding battle. Starting center Jaxson Hayes only played eight minutes on the night due to his offensive ineffectiveness. Rudy Gobert took full advantage of his size and allowed very few offensive rebounds after a first quarter marked by a number of second-chance points for the home team. The Wolves finished the night leading the boards 44 to 38, though they got only 11 offensive rebounds to LA’s 13.

The Lakers’ lack of size caused issues for them on both ends

Many onlookers tipped the Wolves to be a great matchup for the Lakers, given their size at all five positions. This rang true in Game 1 of their series as the Lakers’ small-ball tactics did not give them the edge they were looking for.

Rudy Gobert expertly shut the paint off and won them the battle for the points in the paint. The Wolves’ swarming perimeter defense kept the Lakers’ shooting in check from 3-point range. They got way more open 3-pointers, making 21 of their 42 attempts. The Lakers were only able to make 15 of their own 41 looks while being guarded more effectively.

Anthony Edwards made sure to capitalize on his matchup advantages, both as a scorer and as a facilitator. The 23-year-old put Doncic in the torture chamber for consecutive offensive possessions during the 4th quarter. He also forced the Lakers to defend him with 2-3 zones due to their inability to stop his driving game.

All-in-all, the Wolves delivered a reminder to viewers why they were a top-two team in the Western Conference last year. The Lakers have to get back to the drawing board and find ways to neutralize their advantages ahead of Game 2.