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  1. 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.

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