Los Angeles-after pressing in the game tournament in the last two years just to qualify for the postseason, Los Angeles Lakers enjoyed the opportunity to win a week with game 1 to prepare for their first round series against the Timberwolves of Minnesota.
The break could have allowed the players to heal minor injuries and the coaching staff to immerse themselves in the strategy, but what was clear after the defeat of the 117-95 against the Wolves on Saturday was that the Lakers were totally not prepared for raw physicality and bruises with which Minnesota played.
“It does not mean that our boys were not ready to support a basketball game at the playoffs level … I'm not sure we were physically ready,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick. “And really when [the Wolves] We start playing with a lot of thrust and physical, we simply did not respond to meet that. “
The Lakers Guard, Austin, Reaves: “I think they simply beat us physically from the first moment.”
From the beginning of the second quarter beyond the midpoint of the third, the Wolves surpassed the Lakers 67-33 when the 7-1 Rudy Gobert Minnesota first line, 6-9 Jaden McDaniels and 6-9 Julius Randle controlled the Boards, forced the ball losses and generally dictated the flow of the game with its defensive presence. Luka Doncic said “let the rope go.”
LeBron James, who has played in most playoff games in the history of the NBA (including the games more of the game), attributed it as an expensive entry rate so that his team knows what to expect in the series.
“Maybe he took a playoff game to have an idea now and know what kind of intensity, the type of physicality will take to the game,” James said after finishing 19 points. “But that is the way they play. So we should be more than prepared for that on Tuesday night [in Game 2]”
The, led by Doncic scoring 16 of its 37 points in the first quarter, were the early aggressors, with Doncic drawing two fouls in Gobert, a foul in McDaniels and another in the star of the Wolves, Anthony Edwards in the opening box.
As Doncic launched, the other offensive threats of James and Reaves took a rhythm, since Doncic attacks generated shots for themselves, instead of teammates. “I just tried to establish the early tone,” said Doncic. “But obviously, an assistance, that's not good enough for me.”
Edwards, who scored 22 points despite the cramps on his left calf, said the wolves tried to horcate the line between pushing the limits when establishing what type of contact would be allowed by the referees, without finding in trouble.
“I just tried to be as physical as possible,” said Edwards. “The main thing for us was that we did not want them to get into the early bonus. Because … you see that a couple of free throws enter, Luka enters rhythm, Bron gets into a rhythm.”
It took 16 free throws compared to 11 for Minnesota.
Only two minutes from the second half, Redick banked the Jaxson Hayes starting center. What the Lakers abandoned in size without the foot of 7 feet on the court, Redick hoped that he could obtain an activity by depending on the wings Dorian Finney-Smith and Jarred Vanderbilt to place in 5.
Vanderbilt had some success, helping to reduce the deficit of 27 to 16 in the last four minutes of the third quarter. The closest to the Lakers was 12 with 10:27 remaining before the wolves pushed their advantage to more than 20.
“I think we have to be the aggressor,” Vanderbilt said about game 2. “I feel they hit us first. And they were the most physical team for most of the game … They are the playoffs, man. We came to play hard. I think they were defeating us all 50-50 balls and offensive rebounds, loose balls, everything that won the battle. The game.”
When it was not being punished inside, the wolves were presenting problems in the perimeter, establishing a post -season franchise record when reaching 21 of 42 attempts of 3 points. McDaniels (25 points, including 3 by 3 of 3) and Naz Reid (23 points, including 6 by 9 in 3s) were particularly devastating.
And now the Lakers say they know what to expect, with only two days off this time before flying on Tuesday.
“It was a great atmosphere,” said Doncic. “I'm sorry I could not get the victory, the first victory. But it is always the first in four.”
