MINNEAPOLIS — When the Lakers traded for Luka Doncic in early February, a consensus around the league was how much the Lakers would benefit from having two all-time decision-makers in Doncic and LeBron James on the court together, especially late in games.
In the game’s most precarious moments, James and Doncic would find ways to make sure the Lakers were the team that got over the hump. And that doesn’t even account for the scoring/playmaking that Austin Reaves brings to the table.
This was especially the general thought entering the Lakers’ best-of-seven first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that spent the regular season struggling in clutch moments.
But it’s been the Lakers who have experienced the late-game struggles while the Timberwolves have thrived, leading to Minnesota taking a 3-1 series lead after the Lakers blew a double-digit fourth-quarter lead on Sunday at the Target Center.
“It was just big play after big play,” James said. “They made a couple more plays than we did, obviously.”
The Timberwolves making more plays down the stretch of games was a theme of the weekend, and one of the biggest reasons why they have the series lead ahead of Wednesday’s Game 5 at Crypto.com Arena.
In Game 3, which the Timberwolves won, 116-104, they finished the game on a 13-1 run in the final 4½ minutes.
In Game 4, a 116-113 Minnesota victory, the margins were even thinner. A couple of missed layups. An untimely turnover. Shots that went in earlier in the game not falling when the Lakers needed them the most.
“They won the game, but it wasn’t like they completely pulled away,” James said on Sunday. “I mean, they won the game, but they just made a couple opportunities. We had opportunities to win. We just didn’t close.”
Another common theme of the series.
The Lakers have beaten Minnesota 337-329 combined in the first three quarters of the series. But the Timberwolves have beaten the Lakers by a combined score of 105-69 in the fourth, winning the fourth quarter in each game.
The Timberwolves have outscored the Lakers 25-11 in the “clutch,” when the score differential is five points or less in the final five minutes of the fourth.
Minnesota is shooting shot 46.9% from the field (38 for 81) and 40.5% on from 3-point range (15 for 37) in the fourth quarters, including 63.6% from the field in the “clutch,” compared to the Lakers’ 29.1% (23 for 79) fourth-quarter shooting, 22% from behind the arc (9 for 41), and 33% shooting in the “clutch.”
“Anytime you have an opportunity to go lace them up and play again, you’re not out of it,” Reaves said. “A lot of these games, besides Game 1, 3 and 4 could have easily went our way if we made a couple more plays down the stretch, but we didn’t and dug ourselves in a hole.”
NBA SAYS DONCIC WAS FOULED LATE IN GAME 4
The NBA’s Last Two Minute Report from Game 4 stated that Minnesota wing Jaden McDaniels should have been called for a foul against Doncic after initiating illegal foot contact that caused Doncic to lose his balance while dribbling the ball up the floor with 33 seconds left.
The Lakers were down 114-113 at the time when Doncic got tripped up near midcourt. Doncic retained possession as he hit the floor and the Lakers called a timeout to avoid an 8-second violation.
If the foul had been called, Doncic would have gone to the free-throw line for a pair of shots with a chance to tie the score or give the Lakers the lead. Instead, the Timberwolves stole James’ ensuing inbounds pass and Anthony Edwards made two free throws with 10.9 seconds left for a 116-113 lead.
It was the lone incorrect no-call on the report.
The report also stated the officials made the correct call when James was assessed a defensive foul on the play that sent Edwards to the foul line with 10.9 seconds left – a play that was originally ruled the Lakers’ ball but was changed after Minnesota challenged the play. James said he hit Edwards on the hand and caused what he thought should have been a turnover.
“That play happens all the time,” James said after the game. “Hand is part of the ball. That’s what they said. I feel like the hand was a part of that ball.”
TIMBERWOLVES AT LAKERS
What: Western Conference playoffs, first round, Game 5
When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Where: Crypto.com Arena
TV/radio: Spectrum SportsNet, TNT, truTV, Max/710 AM
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