Laker need great adjustments to counteract the size and physicality of timberwolves

Los Angeles – The Los Angeles Lakers looked like themselves for a quarter.

Luka Dončić Birte the Minnesota Timberwolves in pick-and-roll. When the Timberwolves sent additional help against him or turned on trips, the lakers moved the ball for open 3s. They beat the wolves to lose balls and knocked out mistakes. Her defense turned and enthusiastic, Anthony Edwards changed from color and corrected defensive rebound.

After the Lakers took the lead in the second quarter of 28-21, they fell apart. They have made the wolves 96-67 in the rest of the path in the middle of the game in the middle of the game to a discouraging 117-95 loss in game 1 of their playoff series in the first round in the Crypto.com arena.

After a weekly chatter about the Laker, who were the favorites of the series, the wolves stole the advantage of the home place and made the misguided idea that they are significant outsiders on their heads.

“You are one of the best teams in basketball,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick. “It is not to mean that our boys were not ready to withstand a basketball game at a playoff level. We were mentally ready. I thought our spirit was right. I thought our Huddles were great even when they did. The communication was great.

“I am not sure whether we were physically ready when that makes sense. And when they started with a lot of thrust and physicality, we just didn’t answer to meet it.”

The Lakers, as Dončić said, “let go of the rope in the last 36 minutes” when the wolves dominated them thoroughly on both sides of the ball.

Dončić ended with 37 points – Minnesota has no answer to his goal – but only had an assist and five sales. LeBron James ended with 19 points at 8-of-18 shooting. In the first quarter he became goalless for the first time in his playoff career and was blocked and robbed several times when he tried to attack the wolves of the wolves from the dribble. Austin Reaves’ first half was one of his worst half of the season. He opted for far too many competitive jumpers against the thicket of the wolves of the changing rooms.

“Obviously we have to do better work to control the control,” said James. “And I don’t think we did a good job after the first quarter.”

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No other Lakers player achieved two numbers. Rui Hachimura disappeared after being involved early. Dorian Finney-Smith, Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt combined eight points with 3-of-11 shootings. Jaxson Hayes had one point in eight minutes when Redick decided to reduce and play most of the game for most of the central basketball.

Minnesota finally found the cracks in the defense of the Lakers, and Edwards took exactly what the Lakers gave him, and made a few simple but effective reading processes. He ended with 22 points (at 22 shots) and had nine templates for only sales.

The wolves shot 21 out of 42 to 3S and created a number of open looks, with the Lakers concentrated on limiting the penetration of Edwards. Jaden McDaniels (25 points) turned 3s, attacked degrees and overwhelmed the wings of the Lakers. NAZ Reid (23 points) was a player from the bank and a non -matching antidote against the determined crime of the Lakers.

Minnesota implemented LA in the transition with 25: 6, in 23-20 points of the second chance, from sales of 18: 9 and in color 44-32. It was an all-round thrashing.

“You did all the things we wanted to do,” said Reaves.

And aside the tactical and schematic components of the matchup for a moment, there was also simply the physical element: the wolves are larger, faster and stronger than the lacers. The physical advantages were clear that they entered the series, but they were even blatant when the two sides agreed.

The Lakers recently beaten well against larger teams such as Oklahoma City, Houston, Memphis and Dallas, but it was obvious that Minnesota’s size and wildness interfered with the rhythm of the Lakers.

“I think they physically beat us from the start,” said Reaves.

There are some obvious adjustments for the Lakers that occur on Tuesday on Tuesday.

They have to be more aggressively organized and sets and actions more consistently than just isolate and do not match. You should refrain from aiming the big ones of the wolves and instead to pursue the 6-foot 1-Mike Conley, which Minnesota tried to keep out of the actions. Due to the discrepancy of the sizes, James and Dončić can also appeal to Alexander-Walker and Divincenzo.

Defensive, the Lakers should also consider playing Edwards directly – even if he burns them – and stop helping Minnesota’s supporting line -up so aggressively. They were also able to consider playing Hayes and Vanderbilt, two of their best athletes and largest rotary players, more than 22 minutes, despite the concerns about the spacers that are accompanied by both. The Lakers need an energy chatz that Vanderbilt made available during their 17: 6 run to close the third quarter that made the game briefly interesting in the second half.

Above all, however, you have to play with a greater feeling of urgency-after all, a must for you and competitive pride. You may not be able to correspond to Minnesota from physicality, but at least you have to try.

“I think we had to be the attacker,” said Vanderbilt. “I have the feeling that they hit us first. And they were the physical team most of the game. It is the playoffs, men. We had to play hard. I think they have beaten us for all 50-50 balls and insulting rebounds that beat us at all balls and offensive rebounds.

James, who played in more playoff games and more playing than any other player played in NBA history, is known for treating game 1 as a emotional game. Dončić, who led the outsider team to the conference final and the NBA final, is now 2-7 in game 1 (his teams are 1-1 if they win game 1 and 3: 3 if they lose game 1). After the game there was also no dump and referred to the wisdom that they learned in previous playoff runs.

The Lakers should go ahead better. It is difficult for you to play worse. That was probably the best filming of the wolves of the series. It is unlikely that McDaniels and Reid combine again for 48 points. Game 2 should be closer.

However, this does not make the Lakers easier. You have to cope with the imposed physical challenges that you have not yet found out. You have scored under 100 points nine times this season – and three of them have now come against the wolves.

Minnesotas size, length and sportiness disturb the slower, methodical tendencies from LA. And in the next 60 hours it is about finding out how to better alleviate this disadvantage before it is too late.

“Maybe we needed a playoff game to get a feeling for it and know what kind of intensity is brought to the game,” said James. “But that’s how they play exactly. So we should be more than prepared on Tuesday evening.”

(Photo by LeBron James: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)