The Los Angeles Lakers bounced back to even their first-round playoff series with a 94-85 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, April 22, behind Luka Doncic’s near triple-double and a tough defensive effort that stifled the Wolves’ attack.
Doncic led the Lakers with 31 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists, while LeBron James added 21 points, 11 rebounds, and a key fourth-quarter steal as Los Angeles responded with urgency after a blowout loss in Game 1.
Austin Reaves chipped in 16 points as the third-seeded Lakers grabbed control early, racing to a 22-point first-quarter lead.
The Timberwolves cut the deficit to single digits late, but they never got closer than nine points, struggling to find their offensive rhythm. Julius Randle led Minnesota with 27 points, and Anthony Edwards added 25, though he noted the Lakers’ defensive changes forced him to make quicker decisions.
L.A. limited Minnesota’s three-point shooting after giving up 21 threes in Game 1, and the game turned into a physical battle with 46 personal fouls and multiple video reviews.
Rui Hachimura briefly left the game with a bloody nose but returned with a mask — and then discarded it — and continued to fight through contact alongside James and the rest of the Lakers.
The win snapped the Timberwolves’ momentum and evened the series at 1-1 ahead of Game 3 on Friday, April 25, in Minneapolis.
