Lakers Tie Series with Timberwolves in Controversial Game

Los Angeles, CA — The Los Angeles Lakers tied their Western Conference first-round playoff series with the Minnesota Timberwolves at 1-1 Tuesday night, winning 94-85 at Crypto.com Arena.

Lakers guard Luka Doncic starred in the victory, scoring 31 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and dishing out nine assists. This performance made Doncic the third player in franchise history to score at least 30 points in his first three NBA playoff games.

Doncic’s earlier performance in Game 1, where he scored 37 points, kept the pressure mounting. Tensions boiled over during the match, especially following a controversial incident involving Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels.

While McDaniels made a basket late in the fourth quarter, he fell to the ground after being closely defended by Doncic. As Doncic stepped over him, McDaniels appeared to make a motion that fans interpreted as an intentional trip. Social media quickly reacted, with many calling the move “dirty.”

“That was a dirty move by McDaniels. He intentionally tripped Luka; no wonder Luka was upset after that no call,” tweeted one user, Matej Sportinfo.

Despite the backlash, no foul was called on the play, even as Doncic was consistently fouled throughout the game. He went 11-for-11 from the free throw line, which accounted for more than half of the Lakers’ 20 free throw attempts.

The series now heads to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday night, where the tension between Doncic and McDaniels promises to captivate fans.