FROM THE ABOVE ARTICLE:

LeBron James, as he has done countless times in his career, saw an opening in transition defensively and darted toward the ball.

He wasn’t sure if he could catch the hyper-quick Anthony Edwards, but he wanted to at least try to make him adjust his dribble.

As Edwards tried to dribble behind his back, the streaking James caught him, with one of his patented chasedown blocks replaced by a chasedown steal at a pivotal moment. James galloped back the other way, powering past Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Naz Reid for a layup for two of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 13 fourth-quarter points.

The clutch basket pushed the Lakers’ lead back to double-digits — 92-81 — with 2:40 left. That was all the cushion they needed to win a Game 2 rock fight, 94-85, tying their best-of-seven first-round series with the Minnesota Timberwolves at 1-1.

“It wasn’t about the points at that point. It was about the momentum,” James said of his steal and basket. “That type of steal, that type of play, to be able to finish in that moment, because they could’ve cut it to six, or a four-point play, they could’ve cut it to five. So, for us to push it back to a double-digit lead at that point with a little over two minutes, I think that was very key.”

For as well as they played for most of Game 2, the Lakers actually scored one fewer point than they did in Game 1. Their offense ground to a halt and barely crossed the finish line in the second half. But their defense, which set the tone early and often, enjoyed a 32-point swing from Game 1 to Game 2. They held the Wolves to a season-low 85 points — eight fewer than Minnesota’s previous low of 93.

After a disastrous Game 1 performance on both ends of the floor, the Lakers were much sharper and jumped out to a 34-15 lead after the first quarter. They were physical defensively, pressuring the ball, actively switching and forcing Minnesota to catch passes a step or two farther than intended. They were aggressive in their helping and shading Edwards toward certain spots on the floor, executing their game plan to great effect. Edwards had nine assists and one turnover in Game 1. He had zero assists and two turnovers in Game 2. That completely changed the complexion of the Wolves’ offense.

Minnesota couldn’t find a rhythm. The Wolves were never comfortable. Every time they drove, there were multiple Lakers defenders. Any time a shot went up, multiple Lakers were crashing the glass, enveloping Rudy Gobert, Reid and Julius Randle.

There was no grand adjustment. The Lakers just played harder.

“We did the same game plan,” Luka Dončić said. “We didn’t really change much. It was just a question of if we were gonna be more physical or not. And I think we showed that. And we were there for 48 minutes.”

Several other numbers stood out defensively. The Lakers limited the Wolves’ transition game, allowing just six fast-break points after giving up 25 in Game 1. Minnesota shot 5-of-25 (20 percent) on 3-pointers after going 21-of-42 (50 percent) in Game 1. The number of attempts was arguably as impressive as the number of makes — the Lakers prevented the Wolves from even attempting 3s by playing passing lanes better and running them off the 3-point line.

The game turned into hand-to-hand combat for stretches, with the Lakers matching the Wolves’ grabbing and pushing and holding. They dictated the terms of engagement far more often than they did in Game 1, seeking out confrontation.

“We were physical,” coach JJ Redick said. “The playoffs require a different level.”

At the same time, the Lakers had some lulls in focus and execution, especially in the second half. As Minnesota went on one of several runs in the middle of the third quarter, Redick lit into his team in an expletive-laden, stomp-heavy timeout.

He later said that he wasn’t happy with the team’s demeanor and intensity during that moment, and he wanted to remind them of their first-half performance. The Lakers immediately responded with a 9-0 run, stretching the lead from 11 back to 20 and giving themselves some breathing room entering the fourth quarter.

“It’s not something that I want to do,” Redick said. “But it’s something I’m more than comfortable doing. I think tonight it was just more about getting that urgency button switched back on.”

The primary concern through the first two games, aside from Minnesota stealing home-court advantage, is the offensive end. Only Dončić (31 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in Game 2) has looked like himself. James (21 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists) and Austin Reaves (16 points, five rebounds and five assists) were better in Game 2 than in Game 1, but neither star has played at the top of his game yet.

The supporting cast of Rui Hachimura, Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent has struggled to make jumpers. Jaxson Hayes played nine minutes because of foul trouble and questionable decisions. Jarred Vanderbilt and Jordan Goodwin are being used sparingly.

The offense stagnated in the second half, a bad Lakers’ habit when they’re up by a significant number of points. They can play late into the shot clock and become too isolation-heavy. Had the Wolves been playing better offensively — or LA’s defense been worse — this could’ve turned into more of a game in the fourth quarter.

“We could still be better offensively,” James said. “I thought at times we were very sharp. But at times, we weren’t. I think we could do a better job on the offensive end, but we’re going to continue to get better, continue to watch the film, see ways we can kinda break down the defense and continue to get good looks. I thought we had some great looks tonight. I know a lot of my shots in the fourth quarter were great looks that just didn’t go. If we can continue to get great looks like that, I think we believe in our percentages. But we gotta continue to work the habits.”

The Wolves will be better back in Minnesota. They will have counters to LA’s base game plan vs. Edwards. They will play with even more physicality and confidence at home. The Lakers have lost four straight and seven of eight in Minnesota in the regular season. It’s been a house of horrors for them, at times. They need to expect Minnesota’s best haymakers this weekend.

The Lakers’ offense has to be better, with James and Reaves having the most room for improvement. They need to remain organized, run sets, space properly and screen and cut hard. Their style of defense tends to sap their legs, leading to wonky shooting performances for some of the supporting cast.

But if they can defend like they did in Game 2 for the rest of the series — a level they flashed for over a quarter of the season pre- and post-Dončić trade — they should advance to the Western Conference semifinals.

“When we play this kind of defense for 48 minutes, it gives us a really good chance to win,” Dončić said.

Reading LeBron’s box scores won’t tell the full story during this playoff run.LeBron is manning the Lakers entire defense.The 40-year-old in Year 22 is exerting most of his energy on the defensive end while surgically picking his spots on offense. pic.twitter.com/Ydryi6v4uV— Witness King James (@WITNESSKJ) April 23, 2025

This is some tremendous, collective, TEAM Defense.Guys helping each other out everywhere.Luka bumps Ant off, DFS skies in with the Verticality contest, Luka finishes the play by grabbing the Board. pic.twitter.com/fKsxzTu7JM— Lakers Legacy (@LakersLegacyPod) April 23, 2025

The Lakers once again proving that they can win with their defense is what I care about most.This was the Lakers best defensive performance of the season.85 PTS is the lowest point total they have allowed the entire season.— Witness King James (@WITNESSKJ) April 23, 2025

Lakers turned up their defensive intensity, holding Minny to 85 points for a win. The guys discuss this, Luka's strong game as a scorer & shot creator, Austin finding his offense from 2-point range, Rui's defense, & LeBron's wonderful floor game.🎧: https://t.co/28hTYcn0eM pic.twitter.com/eWHr8iXE6P— Laker Film Room Podcast (@LFRPod) April 23, 2025

Some late-night musings from the Crypt, inspired by LeBron James’ inspiring defense … which may or may not win championships — but definitely won the Lakers’ a playoff game Tuesday.https://t.co/1qQOvKDvXP— Mirjam Swanson (@MirjamSwanson) April 23, 2025

“Me and LeBron have to keep the team together. Going into Minnesota is going to be a war”- Luka Doncic pic.twitter.com/z0aluxDt64— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) April 23, 2025

Luka hunting Gobert on switches gets the highlights. But their wrestling match on the other end mattered just as much. Rebounding always underrated part of Dončić’s defense and key part of Lakers small-ball.This and other breakdown in my G2 observations (see comment)👇 pic.twitter.com/2AKFffCrEl— Iztok Franko (@iztok_franko) April 23, 2025

FROM THE ABOVE ARTICLE:

The Los Angeles Lakers opened their 2025 playoff campaign with a dud—falling 117–95 at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1. It wasn’t just the loss, but how it happened: outplayed, outworked, and out-executed throughout most of the night. Now the pressure’s on. Game 2 is as close as it gets to a must-win, because going to Minneapolis down 0–2 against a locked-in, confident and hungry Wolves squad would be a very dangerous spot to be in.

Game 2 is always about first adjustments. And this time, it’s J.J. Redick and his team who need to respond after taking the first punch. The best and most straightforward adjustment in the NBA is always the same: just play better. Stars, role players, coaching staff—everyone on the Lakers needs to raise their level. But playoff games are also tactical chess matches, and when we talk about possible adjustments, we can go a bit deeper than just “play better.”

1. Set the tone with physicality, force, and focus

2. Control the pace through better offense and more discipline

3. Smarter offense I: Targets of attack (VIDEO)

4. Smarter offense II: Angles of attack (VIDEO)

5. Probably a ‘too-early-to-pull-the-trigger’ adjustment

The Timberwolves are now the favorites to win the series..Julius Randle, 25 from McDaniels, Mike Conley sandals, LAKERS IN 5 🔐 Stats via (@novig_app) pic.twitter.com/5I7OORLiOp— Earl Ross (@PlayoffEarl) April 21, 2025

The Lakers opened as the favorites coming into their first-round series with the Timberwolves… NOW things have flipped after Game 1 with Minnesota favored to advance via @SportsBettingAG pic.twitter.com/gUtjxXtR2S— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) April 21, 2025

Remember “Must Win?”

At the start of this week, I sounded the alarm to the Lakers: don’t get ahead of yourselves, and don’t let overconfidence creep in! Teams will not roll over and surrender—they’re ready to battle, especially against the Lakers. And now, here we are, facing the undeniable truth. This setback should send a clear message to the Lakers: nothing worth having comes easy. If they genuinely want to hoist that coveted 18th banner, they need to bring the fight, the passion, and the relentless determination to rise above every obstacle. The time for complacency is over—now is the time to go all in and prove they’re worthy of the crown!

Time to bounce back in Game 2… pic.twitter.com/POaTTrXjtA— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) April 20, 2025

LeBron has a winning record in series where he loses Game 1 pic.twitter.com/OoPZgQqJni— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) April 20, 2025

The Minnesota Timberwolves didn’t just win Game 1—they unleashed a storm. With 21 made three-pointers, they shattered their franchise playoff record and made it clear: this isn’t the same Wolves team of years past. Every shot seemed to fall with purpose, from Naz Reid’s fiery… pic.twitter.com/V5uIfbBpOh— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 20, 2025