After dropping Game 1 at home, the Lakers came out on a mission in Game 2 vs the Timberwolves. Los Angeles knew they could not head to Minnesota for games 3 and 4 down 0-2.
Once again, Luka Doncic had another dazzling performance for the Los Angeles Lakers. The five-time All-NBA PG thrives in big-time postseason games. He proved that on Tuesday, just narrowly missing out on a triple-double. Luka Doncic became the first guard with consecutive 30+ point games to start their Lakers playoff career.
How far can Luka Doncic carry the Lakers in the 2025 playoffs?
Luka Doncic is the first guard to start their Lakers playoff career with consecutive 30-PT games. pic.twitter.com/W39PDSY4KW
— Polymarket Hoops (@StatMamba) April 23, 2025
The Lakers needed a win on Tuesday night to even the series at one game apiece with the Timberwolves. Head coach J.J. Redick admitted to the media that Los Angeles was surprised by Minnesota’s “physicality” in Game 1. They needed to play tougher in Game 2 to beat the Timberwolves. Minnesota set a tone in Game 1, and it was up to the Lakers to match it. Los Angeles did that and then some on Tuesday,
After scoring 117 points in Game 1, the Lakers held the Timberwolves to 85 points last night. Their defense stepped up massively in Game 2 for the 94-85 win. Luka Doncic had another dominant performance for Los Angeles. He had 31 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, and one block. Doncic was 2-8 from beyond the arc and 11-11 from the free-throw line. The 26-year-old became the first guard with consecutive 30+ point games to start their Lakers playoff career.
Los Angeles traded for Doncic at the deadline, and they’re playing with an incomplete lineup. The Lakers do not have consistency at center. Jaxson Hayes starts for the team, but he cannot be relied on. Hayes often runs into foul trouble, and that happened on Tuesday. He had five fouls in nine minutes of action. That forced J.J. Redick to use a smaller lineup. Dorian Finney-Smith came off the bench to play 39 minutes. The series shifts to Minnesota for games 3 and 4.
