Lakers Face Elimination After Playoff Loss to Timberwolves

MINNEAPOLIS — The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-104 in Game 3 of their playoff series on Friday night at Target Center, placing them in a precarious 2-1 series deficit. Without a fully healthy Luka Doncic, the Lakers struggled with their execution and many mistakes, which proved costly.

Doncic, who has been battling an illness, was noticeably off during the game. He managed to score 17 points but shot just 6-for-16 from the field. His discomfort was evident as he checked out of the game in the first half, needing time in the locker room before he could return to action.

“He was fighting, trying to be there for us,” said Lakers forward Austin Reaves. “I didn’t think he was going to come out second half.”

LeBron James stood out despite the team’s overall struggles, scoring 38 points and showing high energy throughout the game. He fought through the Timberwolves defense and kept the Lakers competitive even as turnovers began to mount.

Coach J.J. Redick pointed to the Lakers’ turnover issues, noting they committed 19 throughout the contest, which led to them conceding 28 points off those giveaways. “Really hard to win a basketball game in that scenario,” said Redick.

Despite leading in scoring for much of the game, the Lakers allowed the Timberwolves too many second chances. The Timberwolves capitalized on this weakness, pulling down nine offensive rebounds in contrast to the Lakers’ performance.

“In the postseason, obviously you’re not gonna play a perfect game,” James said. “But the more that you make mistakes on top of mistakes on top of mistakes… it’s not gonna give you an opportunity to be in the best possible chance to win.”

The Lakers now face a critical Game 4 on Sunday, where they will look to regain their momentum and avoid the prospect of going down 3-1 in the series.

“We got to control the controllables,” James asserted. “Nineteen turnovers on the road is not gonna be a good ingredient for winning.”