As the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves prepare to face off in Game 3 of their first-round series, both teams are expected to field near-complete rosters at Target Center on Friday night.
For the Lakers, forward Rui Hachimura has been cleared to play despite sustaining a facial injury in Game 2.
He will be available while wearing a protective mask, though the team has listed his status as “facemask” under injury/illness designations.
Maxi Kleber remains out as he continues to recover from right foot surgery, a condition that has sidelined him since late January.
Minnesota will miss rookie guard Rob Dillingham, who is dealing with a right ankle sprain and has officially been ruled out.
No other Timberwolves players are currently listed on the injury report, giving head coach Chris Finch a mostly healthy rotation to work with heading into a pivotal game.
Game 3 comes on the heels of a dominant defensive performance by Los Angeles, who evened the series 1-1 with a 94-85 win Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena.
Luka Doncic led all scorers with 31 points, adding 12 rebounds and nine assists while exploiting mismatches against Rudy Gobert.
LeBron James contributed across the board with 21 points, 11 boards, and seven assists in a physical contest marked by 46 personal fouls and multiple reviews.
Hachimura, who took a shot to the face in the opening quarter, returned to finish the game with 11 points and two steals over 34 minutes.
Minnesota struggled from the perimeter, converting just 5-of-25 three-point attempts and shooting 38% from the field overall.
Anthony Edwards posted 25 points on 10-of-22 shooting, but the Timberwolves committed 11 turnovers and were never able to get closer than nine in the second half.
Julius Randle added 27 points for Minnesota but fouled out late in the fourth quarter.
Los Angeles’ perfect free-throw shooting—20-for-20—combined with a 41-34 rebounding edge helped secure the win despite only 45.3% shooting from the floor.
Game 3 will be the first playoff matchup of the series at Target Center, where Minnesota went 27-14 during the regular season.
The Lakers, seeded third in the West, finished the regular season with a 50-32 record, one game ahead of the sixth-seeded Timberwolves.
