Luka Doncic addressed the Los Angeles Lakers’ disappointing 117-95 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Saturday. Despite a strong start, the Lakers couldn’t maintain momentum, allowing the Timberwolves to take control with a dominant second-quarter performance.
“We’ve got to be way more physical,” Doncic said, emphasizing the need for his team to match the Timberwolves’ intensity. “It’s 48 minutes, and every possession matters,” he added, acknowledging the team’s lapses in the middle quarters that allowed Minnesota to outscore them by 34 points during a key stretch.
The Timberwolves exploded from beyond the arc, sinking a franchise playoff-record 21 three-pointers. Doncic noted the team’s struggle to contest Minnesota’s long-range shooting. “They hit 21 threes, which is a lot. It’s going to be really hard when a team shoots 50 percent from three to win the game,” he explained.
After a fast start where he scored 16 points in the first quarter alone, Doncic finished with 37 points but found little support as the Lakers’ offense stalled. LeBron James added 19 points, but the team shot just 39.8% from the field and only 17 points in the final quarter.
Minnesota’s balanced attack proved too much for Los Angeles, with Jaden McDaniels leading the way with 25 points and six rebounds. Anthony Edwards also contributed 22 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. “They were making a lot of threes. We’ve got to eliminate threes, especially the lasers,” Doncic said, pointing to Minnesota’s sharp-shooting spree.
Doncic, in his first postseason game with the Lakers, expressed his appreciation for the crowd, despite the loss. “It was a great atmosphere. Sorry we couldn’t get the first win, but it’s always first to four. The crowd was amazing,” he shared.
As the Lakers look to regroup for Game 2, Doncic believes they need to return to the physical play they showed in the first quarter. “Just limit their threes, limit transition, limit second-chance points, and play our game,” he concluded.
Minnesota now holds a 1-0 lead as the series shifts back to Los Angeles for Game 2 on Tuesday.
