The Lakers rallied past the Timberwolves in a wild play-in matchup on Tuesday to secure a 108-102 victory in overtime and the No. 7 West seed. Here’s what you need to know:
- After being as much as 15 points behind in the second half, the Lakers went 98-95 ahead by 1.4 seconds on a clutch three-pointer from Dennis Schröder.
- Anthony Davis then fouled Minnesota’s Mike Conley with 0.1 seconds left. Conley sunk three free throws to send the game into overtime.
- Los Angeles beat the Timberwolves 10-4 in OT and will face the No. 2 Grizzlies in a first-round series starting Sunday in Memphis.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What victory means for the Lakers
The Lakers avoided a catastrophic loss on Tuesday — the type that could have changed the franchise’s offseason plans. Had the Lakers lost a crucial game to an understaffed Timberwolves roster and had some of their key free agents fared poorly, they might have had to make some tough decisions this summer.
Instead — at least for now — everything is fine as the Lakers are in the playoffs. Los Angeles pulled out of an ugly, dismal game that turned into a lucrative brickfest and overtime throughout the fourth quarter. It was ugly, but they’ll take it. — boo
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A player to watch
One offense to note: D’Angelo Russell scored two points on 1-of-9 shooting. He partially made up for his poor shooting with eight assists and just one turnover, but Los Angeles needed more from their third-top scorer, who is also an upcoming free agent (and eligible for a two-year $67 million extension).
Lakers coach Darvin Ham essentially benched Russell from the 5:59 mark of the third quarter through the rest of the game, only bringing him down late as bait for a few possessions. Russell has a colorful postseason history from a performance standpoint, and his game will determine both how far the Lakers go and what type of contract he gets this offseason. — boo
Do the Lakers have a chance against Memphis?
The Lakers are a good fit with the Grizzlies, who are expected to be without big men Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke. Similar to the Wolves game, the Lakers should be able to consistently get to the edge. Unlike the Wolves, the Grizzlies have arguably the best rim guard in basketball in Jaren Jackson Jr., which will nullify any shot that comes close to it.
Nonetheless, the Lakers should be able to take advantage of Memphis on the inside with their lackluster offensive game plan. My early prediction before I get into film and data is Lakers in seven. — boo
What happened to the Timberwolves?
The Timberwolves controlled that game for the first three quarters and delivered one of their best all-around performances of the season. Karl-Anthony Towns was the best player on the floor, Conley made it big and everything seemed to be going his way. But the offensive stalled in the fourth quarter after Towns ran into nasty trouble.
They scored nine points in the first 11 minutes, 59.9 seconds and looked dead when Schröder, 1.7 seconds ahead, hit a 3-pointer corner for a 98-95 lead. Then Davis fouled Conley on a 3 with 0.1 seconds left, and the veteran hit all three foul shots to force overtime. With Anthony Edwards appearing injured, they just couldn’t find the insult they needed to pull it out. Conley, acquired in the trade that sent Russell to the Lakers, had a great game, scoring 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting. — Krawczyński
Who excelled for Minnesota?
Kyle Anderson was in the eye of the storm after his confrontation with Rudy Gobert on Sunday, but the veteran made it big on this one. He had 12 points, 13 assists, four blocks and four steals and guarded Davis most of the time while Towns struggled with nasty problems. It was the kind of exhilarating, tenacious performance he’s given these wolves all year long. Chris Finch called him their most important player, and he was just that against the Lakers.
Towns was the best player on the floor for the first three quarters. With a mixture of shot, pass and rebound, he outplayed Davis and controlled the game. But a season-long struggle with foul problems severely limited his effectiveness in the fourth quarter and OT. He played cautiously not to catch his sixth foul and Wolves’ offense was ended without him. Towns was scoreless in the fourth quarter and overtime, finishing with 24 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.
Edwards had one of his worst offensive plays of the season, scoring nine points on 3-of-17 shooting. He missed all nine of his 3s and appeared to be in significant pain after taking a scary fall trying to block a Rui Hachimura shot. He missed the start of the fourth quarter and came back into play with a badly taped left shoulder that mostly served as a bait in the offensive end. He played extremely well defensively and took Russell completely out of the game with his aggressive approach. — Krawczyński
What’s next for the wolves?
Wolves will now go home to play the winner of New Orleans and Oklahoma City for the eighth seed and a first-round date with Denver. It’s a disappointing result for Wolves but they showed remarkable courage in this one.
Gobert was suspended for hitting Anderson. Jaden McDaniels was absent with a broken hand. They fought all the way but just couldn’t find enough shots on the track to finish it. They’re getting a much-needed two-day break ahead of Friday’s do-or-die game. — Krawczyński
Leading scorers
LeBron James led all scorers with 30 points while Davis contributed 24 points and 15 rebounds. Towns led the Timberwolves with 24 points and 11 rebounds, along with Conley’s 23 points on 6-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc.
climax of the game
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(Photo: Gary A Vasquez / USA Today)