Lakers need to continue with their winning streak tonight against the Bulls. Lakers won 6 of last 7, they are 2nd best in point differential last 2 weeks, 6th best offense, 2nd best defense.Bulls are the worst offense in the NBA since trade deadline. Simons and Ivey are OUT.— Iztok Franko (@iztok_franko) March 12, 2026

JUST IN: The Lakers are now the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. 👀🍿 pic.twitter.com/cdW5x4vils— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 12, 2026

THE LAKERS CAN TAKE SOLE POSSESSION OF 3RD SEED IF THEY WIN TONIGHT 🤯Here’s what Lakers fans should root for tonight ⬇️Lakers BEAT BullsSuns LOSE to PacersNuggets LOSE to Spurs pic.twitter.com/mL0dOc9P89— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) March 12, 2026

If the Lakers beat the Bulls tomorrow they will be the 3rd seed 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/QBP9La0zEy— GoldenKnight (@GoldenKnightGFX) March 12, 2026

Half game between 3 and 6. Suns in 7th, 1.5 behind the pack. Playoff fever in March!

What a cryin’ shame that would be 🙂

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

LOS ANGELES — Of all the things that went right for the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday in their second-straight “best win of the season” performance, what happened when everything was going wrong stood out most.

Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves fired miss after miss, their field-goal percentage hovered around the American voting age, and the Lakers’ offensive rhythm was totally stalled by the Minnesota Timberwolves’ length, physicality and tenacity.

Through all of that, Deandre Ayton was steady.

It’s not the word that’s been connected all that often to the Lakers’ starting center this year. And Tuesday felt like a moment.

After having a strong game Sunday in a win against the New York Knicks, Ayton was the best Laker early Tuesday, as both teams desperately scrapped for points in the first quarter. He attacked rebounds. He hounded the basket. He slammed the ball with force and defended with purpose.

Here was “the lion” the Lakers thought they had earlier this season. Here was the center they didn’t have last season. Here was a real reason to believe that the last two L.A. wins weren’t fluky but more a culmination of a team truly figuring itself out.

With a 120-106 win, the Lakers (40-25) swept the season series against the Timberwolves because they trusted one another to be there when they needed them — in rotations, in shifts and, most importantly, in spirit.

They didn’t necessarily beat Minnesota because of Ayton’s 14 points and 12 rebounds. But there was no way they would’ve won so convincingly without him. Much like the Lakers’ win Sunday against the New York Knicks, this was an entire roster pulling in the same direction with the same intensity and toughness.

They’ve now won six of their last seven games, the two losses before that coming in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. Their defensive effort and intensity across the board have shifted. The vibes and the belief in the roster are growing.

“I think accountability is being held — not more so from coach to player, just person to person,” Reaves told The Athletic. “I’m not saying I’m running around holding people accountable, but if you say something to somebody, it’s not, ‘Throw your hands up in the air.’ It’s not like, ‘Poor pitiful me.’

“It’s, ‘OK, yeah, I’ll do it.’”

On Sunday, Marcus Smart went 1-for-10 from the floor, but it didn’t matter one bit because of the hell he put the Knicks through on the perimeter. He was a plus-27 in that game, despite scoring only five points. On Tuesday, Jake LaRavia missed layups and still soundly affected winning with his hustle and grit, despite his 1-of-7 shooting.

It didn’t matter that Tuesday had to be an incredibly uncomfortable day for Luka Dončić, after his off-court family issues became news. He made just one of his first eight shots, but he stayed composed. His self-control would eventually be rewarded, as Dončić finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. The Lakers were 20 points better than Minnesota in his minutes.

It also didn’t matter that Reaves got off to another slow start against a physical defense, something his critics have grabbed hold of as he’s gotten closer to his offseason payday. He made just 1 of 8 in the first half but put the Timberwolves away with 29 second-half points.

Smart again did his part, stepping in to take on Anthony Edwards at full speed to begin the second half with a drawn charge. Rui Hachimura didn’t stop trying to defend Julius Randle, even after he got called the first of his five fouls by having his chin get in the way of a quick elbow.

“Everybody that stepped on the court did an amazing job,” Dončić said. “Everybody fought until the end.”

Even LeBron James, who missed his third consecutive game with foot and hip soreness, the latter happening late in the Lakers’ tight loss in Denver last week, bounded off the bench in his street clothes to meet Luke Kennard after a tough transition bucket with joy all over his face. He undoubtedly was aware of the discussion about his impact on winning after the Lakers beat the Knicks without him. And he didn’t seem even a little bothered that the Lakers were doing it again against Minnesota.

“That’s real,” Reaves said of that reaction.

Pregame, head coach JJ Redick talked about the Lakers’ balance issues that tend to show up more when they play with a “big three” instead of just two.

“When all three of those guys are on the court specifically, I think it goes back to the human element,” Redick said. “It’s what they’re comfortable doing as basketball players, which for all three of those guys … it’s having the ball in his hands. The human struggle to want what you want … while also having the emotional maturity and recognition that you have somebody next to you, it hasn’t been as clean. There’s a clear pecking order when LeBron, or when Luka and AR, are on the floor together with guys that are low-usage players. That’s the nature of it. That’s the nature of nearly every big three that’s ever existed.”

Redick, however, said he’s seen enough lately to leave his belief fortified.

“We’re going to get there,” he said. “We’ve seen some positive signs, and I know LeBron, he recognizes the importance of having Luka as the engine. All he really wants is to impact winning. I’ve said this now for the last two weeks: We’re going to get there.”

On Tuesday, the Lakers had to feel better about Ayton’s part in getting them there. There have been games when he’s been great, games when he’s been bad, games when he’s been invisible. But against Minnesota, the Lakers needed Ayton. They didn’t have anywhere else to turn.

Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber, two players not listed on the Lakers’ injury report Monday, were surprisingly scratched with back injuries. That left only two-way Drew Timme as another available big against a Minnesota team that knocked the Lakers and their small-ball lineups out of the playoffs a year ago.

“It’s great for his teammates to see him have a really good performance on both ends of the floor. I think it’s bigger for DA to have a game like that against a really good team, one of the best teams in basketball,” Redick said. “He’s won us and helped win us a ton of games this year. During this stretch, there’s been some ups and downs, but he was great (Tuesday). It’s good for his confidence.”

Playoff series aren’t won in mid-March, and Redick’s message to not overreact after Sunday’s win against the Knicks held true after another dominant 48 minutes on Tuesday. Reaves said the Lakers will undoubtedly have games left on their schedule when it looks like it’s falling apart.

“Are we going to continue to trust the way we’re doing it now will still work?” Reaves asked.

That’s next. First, the Lakers had to be sure they were heading in the right direction.

Then let’s stop it with trade talks.

Bout the same.

LAKERS IN CONTROL OF THEIR DESTINYHAVE CLEAR ROAD TO #3 SEED IN WEST!There were 4 teams ahead of us when we were #6 seed: Rockets, Timberwolves, and Nuggets.We are now #4 and have put the Timberwolves in our rear view mirror. We'll soon have opportunities to do the same… https://t.co/5GhLsiQnfk— LakerTom (@LakerTom) March 11, 2026

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

The next “most important win”

I joked a bit in my preview that this was the next “most important game.” Partly because the Lakers needed to prove the win against the Knicks was not an outlier, and partly because almost every game over the next couple of weeks will feel like a measuring-stick, prove-it matchup. So, it’s only fitting to call this one the next “most important win.”

The Lakers beat the Timberwolves 120–106, their second consecutive win against a very good team in convincing double-digit fashion. For even more good vibes, the Lakers have now won six of their last seven games and, at 40–25, caught and overtook the Timberwolves for the fourth spot in the West thanks to their 3–0 head-to-head record.

This is the NBA. One week the world feels like it’s in shambles after three straight losses, and the next you’re back on top after a couple of quality wins.

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Today’s notes:

Who is this team winning with defense and hustle?

Deandre Ayton and activity on the glass kept the Lakers afloat early (VIDEO)

Austin Reaves’ 29-point second-half takeover (VIDEO)

Two-way Luka… again

Back to the early-season winning formula and hierarchy

1-Who is this team winning with defense and hustle?

The Lakers opened this game looking like they couldn’t hit the ocean. They missed their first eight shots and their first 15 three-point attempts, crawling their way to just 45 points in the first half. Yet despite one of their worst shotmaking halves of the season, they managed to stay even at 45 thanks to their defense and hustle.

The effort and activity level were good from the start, as was the attention to detail and the commitment to staying in front of their man on drives. The Lakers confused the Timberwolves by continuously mixing switching defense with heavy gap help, zoning principles, and occasional zone.

The result was another very solid defensive performance, which has now become a trend. Over their last seven games, the Lakers have been the third-best defense in the league, allowing only 105.7 points per 100 possessions.

After the Knicks game, I mentioned the fact that the Lakers’ opponents have been missing a lot of threes during this stretch, and last night the Timberwolves made only 9 of their 38 attempts.

However, last night many of the Timberwolves’ threes were impatient, contested isolation pull-ups, as Anthony Edwards and his teammates grew increasingly frustrated with the Lakers’ defense. Edwards scored only 14 points on 2-of-15 shooting and became the latest superstar the Lakers’ defense has forced into an off night during this stretch.

2-Deandre Ayton and activity on the glass kept the Lakers afloat early (VIDEO)

The Lakers probably couldn’t have survived the poor shooting in the first half without what was likely their best offensive rebounding half of the season. They collected 11 offensive boards before halftime and scored 11 second-chance points. Jake LaRavia couldn’t buy a layup but had three offensive rebounds during that stretch, Jarred Vanderbilt had two, and Deandre Ayton, whom I highlighted as the X-factor in my preview, grabbed five.

Ayton scored 12 of his 14 points in the second quarter, with half of them coming on putbacks. His activity in the first half, when he collected a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double during a stretch when the Lakers couldn’t generate any other offense, was key to keeping them afloat.

The Lakers, who were missing their other two big men, Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber, needed Ayton to step up and match Rudy Gobert’s physicality, and he delivered, outplaying the Frenchman convincingly once again.

3-Austin Reaves’ 29-point second-half takeover (VIDEO)

Both Reaves and Dončić struggled in the first half. Dončić went 5 of 15 from the field, while Reaves scored only two points, making just one of his eight attempts. I don’t know what they did in the locker room, but both came out looking like different players. Dončić scored 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while Reaves looked unstoppable, scoring 29 of his 31 points after the break. He was able to get downhill and mixed it in with, at times, ridiculous shotmaking that included two four-point plays.

For the second game in a row, Reaves showed he can be a deadly second punch next to Dončić, or at times even the primary scorer, taking full advantage of the extra attention Dončić draws.

Iztok Franko
@iztok_franko

Great to see Luka & Austin cooking again together. Austin incredible 29 points second half.
People talk about him vs long athletic teams…and here is how Luka helps:

Luka HC matchups last night:
McDaniels 26
Ant 13
Anderson 6

Austin:
DiVincenzo 23
Dosumnu 12
Hyland 9
3:39 AM · Mar 11, 2026 · 2.76K Views
2 Replies · 7 Reposts · 67 Likes

4-Two-way Luka… again

For Dončić, this game resembled the previous one against the Knicks: not great scoring efficiency, but still a very impactful overall performance marked by another solid defensive game. Dončić finished with a 31/11/11 triple-double and added two steals and a block. Another high-impact two-way performance, summed up by a team-high +20 in the plus/minus column.

Rebounding, the often overlooked part of Dončić’s defensive contribution, was crucial in this game. Because of the absence of James, Hayes, and Kleber, JJ Redick had to revert to some super-small lineups featuring Rui Hachimura or even Jake LaRavia at the five, and Dončić’s work on the glass was key to keeping the Lakers from getting dominated in those minutes.

5-Back to the early-season winning formula and hierarchy

This was the third consecutive game LeBron James missed, and the Lakers’ third win in a row, including two impressive performances against high-level opposition. So of course the noise about how good the team looks without the 41-year-old veteran will only get louder. It’s something the team is fully aware of, and Redick explained the challenges of making the “big three” work during this injury-riddled season.

Source: Daniel Starkand post on X

We’ll see if Redick and his big three can figure out this complex situation. What is clear is that when you remove one piece from the equation, the hierarchy, the pecking order where everyone plays off two dominant ball handlers, and the defensive composition of the lineups all feel much more natural and straightforward.

Source: Spectrum Sportsnet

It was the winning formula behind the Lakers’ hot start to the season. The model features two great shotmakers getting the reps, space, and shots to reach their comfort zones, while having enough hustle around them to play competent defense.

With the last three wins, the Lakers have improved to 21–9 in games in which both Dončić and Reaves have played, and 10–2 in games when the duo played while James was out.

I wrote about Lakers defense trending up in last games in my observations today. They did a great job against three great offensive players recently: Anthony Edwards to 2/15, 14 ptsJalen Brunson, 8/19, 24 pts, 7 turnoversNikola Jokić, 10/15 25 pts, but 9 turnovers https://t.co/UiLXOG6X87 pic.twitter.com/IBCOlINzc9— Iztok Franko (@iztok_franko) March 11, 2026

The Lakers will beat Minnesota for the third time this season. Led by as many as 23 Tuesday in a 120-106 win. 31-11-11 for Luka, 31-7-8 for Reaves and a massive 14-12 from Deandre Ayton. Lakers have won 6 of 7.— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) March 11, 2026

Final Stats 📊Luka: 31 pts, 11 reb, 11 astAR: 31 pts, 7 reb, 8 astDA: 14 pts, 12 rebLuke: 10 pts, 5-8 FGM pic.twitter.com/gOL8ruKnDW— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 11, 2026

Stacking wins 💪 pic.twitter.com/TvVjpNEPFO— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 11, 2026

LUKA DONCIC AND AUSTIN REAVES TONIGHT:LUKA: 31 PTS, 11 REB, 11 AST, 3 STL+BLKREAVES: 31 PTS, 7 REB, 8 AST, 50% FG pic.twitter.com/HXNpxlw9oq— LakersMuse (@LALMuse) March 11, 2026

The Lakers beat the Wolves 120-106. Luka 31 pts 11 reb 11 ast 2 stl; Reaves 31 pts 8 ast 7 reb; Ayton 14 pts 12 reb; Kennard 10 pts. Don't look now but LAL has now won six of its last seven games and overtook MIN for the No. 4 spot in the West.— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 11, 2026

The Lakers DESTROY the Wolves and have CLINCHED the tiebreaker against Minnesota 😈Now 4th in the West and just 0.5 GB of the 3rd seed 📈 pic.twitter.com/zzHys9bcNT— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) March 11, 2026

Deandre Ayton vs the Timberwolves:-14PTS-12REB-2AST-1STL pic.twitter.com/GoyJqqZkrb— Laker Performances (@LALPerformance) March 11, 2026

Anoche:✅ LUKA TRIPLE-DOBLE A MEDIA MÁQUINA✅ REAVES ETHICAL HOOPS✅ DOMINAYTON DOBLE-DOBLE EN DOS CUARTOS✅ GRANDES APORTES DE SMART, LARAVIA Y KENNARD ✅ TERCER TRIUNFO AL HILO Y SEXTO EN LOS ÚLTIMOS SIETE https://t.co/LZJAwMiIQ2— Lakers Latam (@LakersLatam) March 11, 2026

Robert Horry says Bam 83 point game needs a asterisk:“43 shots, 43 FTs, I saw some highlights… 83 points is impressive but it gets to a point you have to respect the game. There were moments in this game it wasn’t respected. It’ll go down as 2nd most in the game, I’m putting… pic.twitter.com/IpQxCaLjBy— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 11, 2026

Tim MacMahon GOES OFF on Bam 83 point game “He’s jacking up 3s triple teamed! It was honestly just awful, hideous, disgusting basketball down the stretch… I never ever (x6) want to hear about Heat culture & professionalism and all that crap again because that was the most… pic.twitter.com/xpcYdB6gWU— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) March 11, 2026

Mad Dog GOES OFF on Bam Adebayo 83 points “What Spoelstra did with the shenanigans was a complete disgrace… When you shoot 43 times and less than 50%, when you shoot 43 FTs and you go 7/22 from 3 against a horrendous team, and you’re in the game in the last 3 minutes with… pic.twitter.com/j1HkniJ9jS— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) March 11, 2026

The reason there's all this drama about Bam Adebayo's 83-point game – unethical basketball will never be appreciated by the general fanbase. Many stars have done significant damage within 3Qs and sat Q4 because it was a blowout. Kobe 60+ in 3Q. Klay sat with 50 in 3+, and he…— Jim Park (@Sheridanblog) March 11, 2026