The Los Angeles Lakers owned a double-digit lead for most of the game, held off a fourth-quarter push from the Minnesota Timberwolves and held on for a 94-85 victory in Game 2.
The Lakers avoided a problematic 2-0 hole and evened the first-round Western Conference series at 1-1. Game 3 is Friday in Minneapolis (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Lakers star Luka Doncic almost had a triple-double (31 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists), and All-Star LeBron James had 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Austin Reaves added 16 points, five rebounds and five assists, and Rui Hachimura scored 11 points for Los Angeles.
From midway through the first quarter until midway through the fourth, the Lakers led by at least 10 points and were up 22 points in the second quarter and 21 in the third. But Minnesota trimmed the deficit to 86-77 with 6:27 left in the fourth.
It was 90-81 with 3:10 remaining in the fourth, but the Lakers never let Minnesota get closer, giving first-year coach JJ Redick his first playoff victory.
After making a franchise playoff-record 21 3-pointers in their Game 1 victory, the Timberwolves were just 5-for-25 on 3s (20%) in Game 2. The Lakers weren’t much better from long range (6-for-29), but made 60.9% of their shots inside the 3-point line.
Los Angeles played with a better purpose, especially defensively, and James and Doncic found a better offensive rhythm. They combined for just four assists in Game 1, but matched that total in the first quarter and combined for 16 assists in Game 2.
Julius Randle led the Timberwolves with 27 points, and All-Star teammate Anthony Edwards had 25 points.
USA TODAY Sports provided updates, scores and highlights from Game 2 of the Timberwolves-Lakers series:
Lakers vs. Timberwolves score
Lakers 94, Timberwolves 85 (final)
Lakers vs. Timberwolves highlights
End of 3Q: Lakers 81, Timberwolves 65
The Timberwolves got within 11 points with 7:48 remaining in the third quarter, but the Lakers pushed the lead to 21 and owned an 81-65 lead headed into the fourth quarter.
Luka Doncic continued his stellar all-around performance, compiling 28 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists through three quarters. LeBron James has 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and Austin Reaves has 12 points, four assists and four rebounds.
Anthony Edwards leads Minnesota with 23 points, and Julius Randle has 22 points. No other Minnesota player has more than six points, and the Timberwolves’ 3-point problems continued. They are 3-for-17 on 3s.
The Lakers are just 6-for-24 on 3s but are shooting 71.9% inside the 3-point line.
Anthony Edwards has the dunk of the game
Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, one of the NBA’s best in-game dunkers, had a soaring two-handed slam on Lakers center Jaxson Hayes with 10:52 left in the third quarter. Even incoming Timberwolves owner Alex Rodriguez, who is sitting courtside, got up for that dunk.
Halftime score: Lakers 58, Timberwolves 43
Luka Doncic delivered 22 points, five assists and five rebounds, and LeBron James had 13, four assists and four rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers took a 58-43 lead into halftime of Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round series. Certainly, the Lakers are playing with a greater purpose after dropping Game 1 at home.
Doncic and James combined for four assists in all of Game 1, and they had nine assists in the first two quarters of Game 2 in a much better offensive and defensive showing for Los Angeles.
Julius Randle has a team-high 15 points for the Timberwolves, and Anthony Edwards has 12 points. After making a franchise playoff-record 21 3s in Game 1, Minnesota shot 2-for-10 from that distance in the first half of Game 2. The good news for the Timberwolves? They trailed 53-31 with four minutes left in the second quarter and trimmed the deficit to a more manageable 15 points.
The Timberwolves have foul issues with their two key reserves, Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo, both of whom collected three fouls by the 9:16 mark of the second quarter and were limited to just eight minutes in the first half.
End of Q1: Lakers 34, Timberwolves 15
The Lakers came out with a sense of urgency in Game 2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday and led by as many as 19 points in the first quarter.
Luka Doncic is off to another red-hot start. He scored 16 of the Lakers’ 34 first-quarter points, shooting 4-of-7 from the field, 2-of-4 from three and 6-of-6 from the free throw line. LeBron James added four points, while Gabe Vincent added six points off the bench.
Anthony Edwards leads the Timberwolves with six points (2-of-4 FG, 1-of-2 3PT). Julius Randle added five points.
Notable pregame quotes
Both coaches – the Lakers’ JJ Redick and the Timberwolves’ Chris Finch – met with reporters before Game 2.
Redick on the time off between Game 1 and Game 2: ‘It’s a luxury to have the extra day between games. We really took our time on Sunday with the defensive stuff, and we really took our time yesterday (Monday) with the offensive stuff and then we’ll have a little bit of time in between Games 2 and 3, so that’s good. And then it’s kind of full tilt after that every other day. So our staff, our players, they responded after Game 1, and hopefully we get great response.’
Finch on what to expect in Game 2 after making franchise playoff-record 21 3-pointers in Game 1: “We did a good job of moving, playing well off the ball, making the play, making the pass at the right time, understanding where the traffic was going to be. I don’t know what adjustments specifically to expect around that. Maybe they’ll stay home, maybe they’ll close out a little harder. I don’t know. We’ll just have to feel our way through it. We’ve seen a lot of different things and seen a ton of different looks this year.”
Lakers-Timberwolves Game 2 starting lineups
Timberwolves: Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels
Lakers: Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Jaxson Hayes, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura
What time is Lakers vs. Timberwolves?
Game 2 of the NBA playoff series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves is at 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 22.
How to watch Lakers vs. Timberwolves Game 2: Time, TV, streaming info for NBA playoffs
Date: Tuesday, April 22
Time: 10 p.m. ET
Location: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
TV: TNT, truTV
Stream: Max, Sling TV
Watch Lakers vs. Timberwolves Game 2 with Sling TV
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