Iztok’s Lakers – Timberwolves Preview

March 10, 2026 at 11:20 am

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

The Lakers finally managed to beat a good team with a convincing end-to-end performance against the Knicks. But the next measuring-stick game arrives immediately. And it won’t be the last one. Three of the next four games on the schedule will present a similar test.

Source: NBA official website

Every game matters in the packed Western Conference standings, and games against direct rivals matter even more. With a win, the Lakers could take the third spot away from the Timberwolves. A loss could leave them just one game ahead of the Suns and the play-in spot.

Source: ESPN

The Timberwolves are healthy and playing at a high level, having won eight of their last ten games, and will be motivated to avenge two early-season losses, especially the last one that ended on an Austin Reaves game-winning buzzer-beating floater.

For the Lakers, the key question is the availability of LeBron James, who is listed as questionable with a right hip contusion and left foot arthritis.

Lakers (39-25) vs Timberwolves (40-24) game facts

Rest: LAL on 1 day of rest; MIN on 2 days of rest

Ranking: LAL 14th in Point Diff (+1.1), MIN 7th in Point Diff (+5.0)

LAL vs MIN 2025-26 record: 2-0 (see Game 2 observations here, Game 5 observations here)

LAL injuries: LeBron James (questionable)

MIN injuries: Kyle Anderson (questionable)

LAL projected starting five: Luka Dončić (G), Marcus Smart (G), Austin Reaves (G), Rui Hachimura (F), Deandre Ayton (C)

LAL key reserves: Luke Kennard, Jake LaRavia, Jaxson Hayes, Maxi Kleber, Jarred Vanderbilt

MIN projected starting five: Donte DiVincenzo (G), Anthony Edwards (G), Jaden McDaniels (F), Julius Randle (F), Rudy Gobert (C)

MIN key reserves: Naz Reid, Ayo Dosunmu, Bones Hyland, Kyle Anderson, Terrence Shannon Jr.

Key storyline: Which Deandre Ayton will show up?
The biggest story around the Lakers after the last game has been, of course, how the team looked without James in the lineup. The addition of a hip contusion to the injury report could potentially prolong his absence. However, if he returns, all eyes again will be on the inner workings of the Lakers’ star trio.

With or without James, Deandre Ayton could be the player to watch. Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle bullied the undersized Lakers inside and on the glass in the playoffs, and Ayton has the bulk and size to compete with them. His 17-point, 10-rebound, 1-block performance, where he thoroughly outplayed Gobert in the second matchup, was one of his more memorable games this season. Most of them came earlier in the season, and Ayton’s play and minutes have diminished since. The Lakers will need Ayton to play solid minutes and prevent Gobert from dominating the paint and the glass on both ends.

Lakers on offense | Timberwolves on defense

The Lakers had two heroes in their two early-season wins against the Timberwolves. Luka Dončić scored 49 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists in a dominant performance that forced Chris Finch to move away from drop coverage with Gobert and then manipulated the more aggressive coverages with his passing. Dončić and Anthony Edwards missed the second matchup, when Reaves was the best player on the floor with 28 points, 16 assists, and a game winner. Tonight, the Lakers will probably need both to replicate the deadly one-two punch we saw in the last game against the Knicks.

Dončić vs. Gobert is always the crucial matchup in any game with these two on the floor. The Frenchman is having another Defensive Player of the Year–caliber season, and the Timberwolves allow an astonishing 13.1 fewer points per 100 possessions when he is on the floor. That impact is even higher than that of his fellow countryman Victor Wembanyama. Defense that features Gobert, paired with another defensive specimen, Jaden McDaniels, is tough to crack. But Dončić, with his strength and on nights when his mid-range and outside shot are falling, is the player who has been able to force Finch into uncomfortable decisions on several occasions in the past.

With the addition of Luke Kennard, the Lakers now have the optionality to surround Dončić and Reaves with shooting, making their lives easier against one of the best paint-protecting defenses in the league.

Timberwolves on offense | Lakers on defense

How to deal with Anthony Edwards, who is having a career year with 29.6 points per game while shooting 41 percent from three, is always the most important item on the Timberwolves’ scouting report. The Lakers have had success in recent games with a proactive defensive approach, limiting players like Zion Williamson, Nikola Jokić, and Jalen Brunson, and they will need to muster that same urgency and force against the Ant-Man. Throwing different looks and help at him, and trying to turn him into more of a passer and playmaker, will probably be the plan.

The problem for JJ Redick is that Edwards is not the only threat. Julius Randle averaged 29.5 points in two games against the Lakers this season. He is shooting only 31 percent from three this year, but he made 8 of 15 against the team that drafted him. Besides Randle, all other key Timberwolves rotation players are having strong shooting seasons. Edwards is at 41 percent, McDaniels 43 percent, DiVincenzo 39 percent, Reid 38 percent, and Dosunmu 36 percent. That makes it one of the better three-point shooting rotations in the league, which makes helping on Edwards much more difficult, especially when Gobert is on the bench.

The key for the Lakers’ defense, like against any physical and athletic team, will be their offense. They need to limit turnovers and bad misses that allow the Timberwolves to get out in transition. Minnesota is the second-most efficient team in transition, according to Cleaning the Glass, and attacking the Lakers on the run is always a priority for them. The deadline addition of Ayo Dosunmu has made the Timberwolves even faster. He is currently their top scorer in fast-break points on a per-100-possessions basis.

Final thoughts

A good win against the Knicks took some pressure off the Lakers’ shoulders. Another quality win against a direct rival would prove that it wasn’t a fluke and that the Lakers might be more competitive than most of us thought. Let them prove us wrong again.

Comments

LakerTom says

March 10, 2026 at 11:20 am

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

The Lakers finally managed to beat a good team with a convincing end-to-end performance against the Knicks. But the next measuring-stick game arrives immediately. And it won’t be the last one. Three of the next four games on the schedule will present a similar test.

Source: NBA official website

Every game matters in the packed Western Conference standings, and games against direct rivals matter even more. With a win, the Lakers could take the third spot away from the Timberwolves. A loss could leave them just one game ahead of the Suns and the play-in spot.

Source: ESPN

The Timberwolves are healthy and playing at a high level, having won eight of their last ten games, and will be motivated to avenge two early-season losses, especially the last one that ended on an Austin Reaves game-winning buzzer-beating floater.

For the Lakers, the key question is the availability of LeBron James, who is listed as questionable with a right hip contusion and left foot arthritis.

Lakers (39-25) vs Timberwolves (40-24) game facts

Rest: LAL on 1 day of rest; MIN on 2 days of rest

Ranking: LAL 14th in Point Diff (+1.1), MIN 7th in Point Diff (+5.0)

LAL vs MIN 2025-26 record: 2-0 (see Game 2 observations here, Game 5 observations here)

LAL injuries: LeBron James (questionable)

MIN injuries: Kyle Anderson (questionable)

LAL projected starting five: Luka Dončić (G), Marcus Smart (G), Austin Reaves (G), Rui Hachimura (F), Deandre Ayton (C)

LAL key reserves: Luke Kennard, Jake LaRavia, Jaxson Hayes, Maxi Kleber, Jarred Vanderbilt

MIN projected starting five: Donte DiVincenzo (G), Anthony Edwards (G), Jaden McDaniels (F), Julius Randle (F), Rudy Gobert (C)

MIN key reserves: Naz Reid, Ayo Dosunmu, Bones Hyland, Kyle Anderson, Terrence Shannon Jr.

Key storyline: Which Deandre Ayton will show up?
The biggest story around the Lakers after the last game has been, of course, how the team looked without James in the lineup. The addition of a hip contusion to the injury report could potentially prolong his absence. However, if he returns, all eyes again will be on the inner workings of the Lakers’ star trio.

With or without James, Deandre Ayton could be the player to watch. Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle bullied the undersized Lakers inside and on the glass in the playoffs, and Ayton has the bulk and size to compete with them. His 17-point, 10-rebound, 1-block performance, where he thoroughly outplayed Gobert in the second matchup, was one of his more memorable games this season. Most of them came earlier in the season, and Ayton’s play and minutes have diminished since. The Lakers will need Ayton to play solid minutes and prevent Gobert from dominating the paint and the glass on both ends.

Lakers on offense | Timberwolves on defense

The Lakers had two heroes in their two early-season wins against the Timberwolves. Luka Dončić scored 49 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists in a dominant performance that forced Chris Finch to move away from drop coverage with Gobert and then manipulated the more aggressive coverages with his passing. Dončić and Anthony Edwards missed the second matchup, when Reaves was the best player on the floor with 28 points, 16 assists, and a game winner. Tonight, the Lakers will probably need both to replicate the deadly one-two punch we saw in the last game against the Knicks.

Dončić vs. Gobert is always the crucial matchup in any game with these two on the floor. The Frenchman is having another Defensive Player of the Year–caliber season, and the Timberwolves allow an astonishing 13.1 fewer points per 100 possessions when he is on the floor. That impact is even higher than that of his fellow countryman Victor Wembanyama. Defense that features Gobert, paired with another defensive specimen, Jaden McDaniels, is tough to crack. But Dončić, with his strength and on nights when his mid-range and outside shot are falling, is the player who has been able to force Finch into uncomfortable decisions on several occasions in the past.

With the addition of Luke Kennard, the Lakers now have the optionality to surround Dončić and Reaves with shooting, making their lives easier against one of the best paint-protecting defenses in the league.

Timberwolves on offense | Lakers on defense

How to deal with Anthony Edwards, who is having a career year with 29.6 points per game while shooting 41 percent from three, is always the most important item on the Timberwolves’ scouting report. The Lakers have had success in recent games with a proactive defensive approach, limiting players like Zion Williamson, Nikola Jokić, and Jalen Brunson, and they will need to muster that same urgency and force against the Ant-Man. Throwing different looks and help at him, and trying to turn him into more of a passer and playmaker, will probably be the plan.

The problem for JJ Redick is that Edwards is not the only threat. Julius Randle averaged 29.5 points in two games against the Lakers this season. He is shooting only 31 percent from three this year, but he made 8 of 15 against the team that drafted him. Besides Randle, all other key Timberwolves rotation players are having strong shooting seasons. Edwards is at 41 percent, McDaniels 43 percent, DiVincenzo 39 percent, Reid 38 percent, and Dosunmu 36 percent. That makes it one of the better three-point shooting rotations in the league, which makes helping on Edwards much more difficult, especially when Gobert is on the bench.

The key for the Lakers’ defense, like against any physical and athletic team, will be their offense. They need to limit turnovers and bad misses that allow the Timberwolves to get out in transition. Minnesota is the second-most efficient team in transition, according to Cleaning the Glass, and attacking the Lakers on the run is always a priority for them. The deadline addition of Ayo Dosunmu has made the Timberwolves even faster. He is currently their top scorer in fast-break points on a per-100-possessions basis.

Final thoughts

A good win against the Knicks took some pressure off the Lakers’ shoulders. Another quality win against a direct rival would prove that it wasn’t a fluke and that the Lakers might be more competitive than most of us thought. Let them prove us wrong again.

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