Los Angeles Lakers Face Tough Postseason Challenge Against Minnesota Timberwolves
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The Los Angeles Lakers, led by LeBron James and Luka Doncic, are set to face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. Despite being the third-seeded team, the Lakers have only played 21 games together, which may not be enough time to build a strong bond to overcome the Timberwolves.
According to reporting by the Associated Press, James is aware of the enormity of the challenge ahead as he chases his fifth championship. “Obviously you want to be healthy going into a postseason run, that’s most important,” James said, as quoted by the Associated Press. “And then you want to have been playing at a high level for the majority of the season — being in must-win games going down the stretch, playoff-type intensity games, and we had that. But at the end of the day … I don’t give a damn how much you know about a team, how much they know about you, all the talk. It’s not about that. It’s about once you get on the floor.”
The Timberwolves, who reached the Western Conference finals last year, have roared into the playoffs with a 17-4 finish to the regular season. The team played standout basketball after Julius Randle returned from injury, and they will pose a significant threat to the Lakers.
The Lakers and Timberwolves have a mutual respect for each other, particularly between James and Anthony Edwards. The two players cemented their friendship during last summer’s Paris Olympics. “It means a lot to match up against him, man,” Edwards said, as reported by the Associated Press. “Probably goes down as the greatest player to ever play basketball. Trying to get putting him out of the playoffs under my belt is going to be a tough one, but it’s going to be a fun road.”
James praised Edwards, saying he is an “amazing. Unbelievable basketball junkie. Loves to play the game of basketball. Great kid, and all the success those guys have had so far throughout his young career has been awesome to see.”
Edwards has had some issues with keeping his cool this season, leading the league in technical fouls and amassing hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for various behavioral transgressions. However, he assured that there is no reason for the Wolves to worry about that. “I won’t get no techs. I won’t say anything. I’m going to be super-quiet, 100%,” Edwards said.
The Lakers have played a heavy gap-help defense this season, designed to keep a gamebreaker like Edwards from doing too much damage at the rim. The Wolves’ wings must be ready to capitalize on catch-and-shoot opportunities, as the team was fourth in the NBA in 3-point percentage and fifth in attempts during the regular season.
Donte DiVincenzo, who shot nearly 40% from deep, emphasized the importance of taking open shots. “If they’re taking the ball out of Ant’s hands, you have an open shot, let it fly. Because once that happens, it just loosens up the defense and opens everything up,” DiVincenzo said, according to reporting by the Associated Press.
The series between the Lakers and Timberwolves is expected to be a closely contested one, with both teams having a strong chance of advancing to the next round.
Lakers’ coach JJ Redick acknowledged the challenges his team faces, saying, “Trying to figure stuff out on the fly, it’s not perfect. And frankly, our stretch since we traded for Luka hasn’t been perfect, and not just with scheduling, and with guys being in and out of the lineup. It just hasn’t been perfect, and it’s really hard to do.”
The Associated Press reports that the series will begin on Saturday in downtown LA, with the Lakers looking to overcome their limited time together and the Timberwolves seeking to build on their impressive regular season finish.
AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell in Minneapolis contributed to this report.
For more NBA news, visit https://apnews.com/NBA.
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