The Lakers bounced back after a season opening loss, with an impressive 128-110 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.
Luka Dončić scored 32 of his 49 points in the first half. He also ended
with 11 rebounds and eight assists in 34 minutes of play. Austin Reaves had 25 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists. Rui Hachimura pitched in with 23 points in 31 minutes.
Gabe Vincent notched five points with five assists in 24 minutes. Jake LaRavia scored five points off the bench. Deandre Ayton had 15 points, eight rebounds and a block.
Marcus Smart’s only scored three points, but his impact was felt in otherways with his defense. He had two steals and an assist.
It was a rough start for LA, who were down by six early. Luka was the only Laker who could break that drought by conjuring up seven points. They struggled to convert on shots and defend the Wolves, especially from behind the arc, with Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo knocking down a combined four 3-pointers.
Vincent and Hachimura both drained much-needed triples. The Lakers still couldn’t defend Minnesota, who were up by nine with 6:07 left in the quarter.
The stars started cooking for both teams as Anthony Edwards was up to 14 points and Luka was at 23 points. Luka’s offensive takeover helped Los Angeles close to within four at the end of the 1st.
Ayton got on the scoreboard early in the second period with a fadeaway shot. Hachimura pitched in with four more points, keeping the Lakers still within striking distance.
L.A. had no answer for DiVincenzo who knocked down his third 3-pointer of the game. The Timberwolves were taking advantage of L.A.’s lack of rebounding with 14 second chance points.
Reaves looked more like himself in this game. He was finding his shots and confidently knocking them down. Reaves was in double figures with 12 points.
Smart’s defensive presence was on full display as he altered a few shots, got a steal and as an added bonus, he drained a 3-pointer. The game was tied with 2:21 left until halftime.
Los Angeles ended the half on an impressive 16-5 scoring run to take a lead of five at halftime. The Lakers shot 64% from the field in the quarter.
The second half started in a positive direction for L.A. with Ayton scoring four points. Luka and Hachimura combined for four points as well. The lead slightly grew to eight for Los Angeles.
Everything continued to go well for the Lakers as they kept their feet on the gas pedal. It was a strong third quarter for a team that often folds five minutes into the period. Four of five starters for Los Angeles were in double figures.
At the 2:41 mark, LA was up by 11, shooting 62% from the field.
The rest of the quarter was Lakers domination as they kept building on their lead. Everyone pitched in with scoring and defense. Jarred Vanderbilt had four rebounds. Smart was up to two steals, while still altering shots and providing the defensive spark.
Reaves and Hachimura connected on a lob that had the crowd buzzing. Both players also had 20+ points. Going into the fourth period, the Lakers were up by 14.
The fourth quarter started with Luka once again completely taking over with seven points, including an insane 3-pointer. The Lakers onslaught kept going and going and going as Minnesota couldn’t put together any kind of comeback.
Luka kept dazzling with his passes and shot making. He had a ridiculous 47 points. The team still had Ayton involved as well, making sure he could score in the paint. With 3:59 left, the Wolves sat their stars.
Key Takeaways:
Now that is exactly the second half performance we all wanted to see from the Lakers.
L.A. getting Ayton involved immediately at the start of the third quarter was a massive positive. It kept the flow of the second half going fluidly.
Smart continues to make a strong case to be a starter but the question is, will JJ Redick see it?
The Lakers’ next matchup is Sunday against the Sacramento Kings at 6:00 PM PT.
You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.
