The Los Angeles Lakers evened their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night with a 94-85 win at Crypto.com Arena, and Anthony Edwards offered a measured response to the defeat.
The third-seeded Lakers jumped ahead 34-15 in the opening quarter and never gave up the lead, forcing Minnesota to play catch-up throughout the game.
“They was up—what—twenty-something, and we fought back and got back in the game,” Edwards said postgame. “I think what hurt was when we cut it to like 11 in the middle of the third, and then they went on a 7-0 run. I think that’s what hurt more than anything.”
Edwards scored 25 points on 10-for-22 shooting but faced heavy defensive pressure throughout, noting the Lakers’ shifting schemes.
“Every time I caught the ball, they kind of went into a zone, in a sense,” he explained. “Even when we cut guys through, they just stayed. So I got to be ready to make those reads.”
Los Angeles limited Minnesota to just 5-of-25 from deep and held them to 38% shooting overall, capitalizing on poor perimeter looks and stagnant ball movement.
“I mean, it’s kind of hard the way they guarding us,” Edwards added. “It’s like three people [are there] when I try to attack a gap.”
Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 31 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists, repeatedly targeting Rudy Gobert in isolation sets while going 11-of-11 from the line.
LeBron James added 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Austin Reaves chipped in 16 points. Los Angeles also outrebounded the Timberwolves 41-34 and shot 20-for-20 on free throws.
Minnesota briefly cut the deficit to nine in the final period but was unable to mount a full comeback. Julius Randle finished with 27 points but committed five fouls, and Mike Conley went scoreless in 21 minutes.
Despite the setback, Edwards expressed optimism with the series tied 1-1.
“I feel great,” he said. “We 1-1. Nothing better to be, but 2-0. But we 1-1.”
Head coach JJ Redick, making his playoff debut for the Lakers, was animated in the huddle after the Timberwolves trimmed the lead to 10 late.
When asked what must change for Game 3, Edwards was blunt: “We just can’t let them get off to a fast start. That’s the only thing.”
Game 3 will take place Friday at Target Center in Minneapolis, where the Timberwolves will try to regain homecourt advantage.
“Let’s get our fans into it and just keep playing with energy,” Edwards said. “I feel like we’ll be all right.”
