The Los Angeles Lakers came into Tuesday’s Game 2 of their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves looking to avenge what was an ugly loss in the opener.
The Timberwolves hit a franchise record 21 threes, and ran the Lakers off the court in a 117-95 win. However, things were different Tuesday evening, as the Lakers got off to a hot start and even went into the half with a 15-point lead.
While the Lakers had a plethora of bright moments in the opening two quarters, a deep three by Luka Doncic in the first seemed to energize the crowd at crypto.com Arena and the Lakers’ social media team as well.
With a little over three minutes remaining in the opening quarter, Doncic initiated a sequence that saw three other Lakers players touch the ball before he drilled a triple to make it 25-10. After the play, a timeout was called, and an energized Doncic shouted excitedly.
The moment led to the Lakers’ social media team showcasing another angle, and highlighting just how amped Donci was
“Luka was HYPE after his three 🗣️,” read the post.
This post only got better, as the team shared an Instagram post that revealed Doncic was mic’d up and saw him express just how much he was feeling it after the sequence.
“Hey after shot I look at the bench,” Doncic said. “I knew it was going in.
By the time halftime rolled around, Doncic had racked up 22 points, five rebounds and five assists.
With a win, the Lakers will even the series up as they head to Minnesota for the next two games. It can also take some wind out of the sails of a Timberwolves squad led by Anthony Edwards, which seemed to be quite confident after the series’ first game.
Edwards went as far as to call the atmosphere at the Lakers’ arena “nothing” after the win. A sentiment that, following Doncic’s hot night, he may not feel the same about.
Timberwolves Star Facing Backlash After Dirty Play on Luka Doncic
The Los Angeles Lakers tied their Western Conference first round playoff series with the Minnesota Timberwolves 1-1 on Tuesday night thanks to a 94-85 victory at Crypto.com Arena.
Los Angeles guard Luka Doncic made Lakers history in the win, dropping 31 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists to become the third player in franchise history to score at least 30 points in his first three NBA playoff games.
There was extra focus on Doncic, who scored 37 points in Game 1, from before the opening tip. That attitude seemed to carry over into the game as well, leading to a controversial play by Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels.
In the midst of a fourth-quarter run by the Timberwolves, McDaniels caught the Slovenian with a “dirty” move in a rare moment when the officials were not looking.
The Minnesota forward fell to the ground after making a basket defended by Doncic. As Doncic stepped over him, he made a motion fans believed to be an intentional trip on the Lakers star.
“@NBA are you seeing this?!” replied an X user. “Fine that man rn.”
“@NBA come on really?” said another. “That was so obvious. Dirty player.”
“I was so disgusted when I saw the replay,” said one fan. “McDaniels is a massive weirdo for that.”
“All these bums like him and Dort get told all year that they’re the best perimeter defender in the league only to get torched by Luka come playoff time so they get pissy and start flopping and mauling him,” ranted one user.
No foul was called on the play despite Doncic getting plenty of attention from the officials throughout the game. He went 11-for-11 from the free throw line, accounting for more than half of the Lakers’ 20 free throw attempts.
Whether it is jawing between Doncic and Anthony Edwards or a newfound disdain for McDaniels, there will be plenty of intrigue to keep an eye on when the series shifts to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday night.