Luka Dončić delivered a commanding performance on Tuesday night to help the Los Angeles Lakers even their first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 94–85 victory in Game 2 at Crypto.com Arena.
Dončić, in just his second postseason game in Lakers gold, scored a game-high 31 points, including 14 in the opening quarter, as Los Angeles stormed to a 19-point lead by the end of the first. The Timberwolves made a late push in the fourth quarter, trimming the gap to single digits, but the Lakers never lost control of the game.
Alongside his scoring, the Slovenian star added 12 rebounds, nine assists, and a block, narrowly missing a triple-double in what was a standout all-around effort. His dominance recalled his performances in last year’s Western Conference Finals, when he led the Dallas Mavericks past Minnesota.
LeBron James backed up Dončić with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, while Austin Reaves contributed 16 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a balanced team display.
“We looked at what we didn’t do well in Game 1, and there was a lot,” James told reporters. “We held each other accountable and came out with a much better result tonight. That said, we can still be better, especially on offense. We had good looks, and I trust those shots will fall.”
The Lakers’ improved intensity was clear from the outset. Reaves noted that the team’s focus had been on “matching physicality with physicality” after being outworked in the series opener.
For Minnesota, Julius Randle led the way with 27 points, and Anthony Edwards added 25, despite recently being fined $50,000 by the NBA for an incident involving a fan during Game 1. However, the Timberwolves’ supporting cast struggled badly. After combining for 48 points on efficient shooting in Game 1, Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid managed just 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting in Game 2 and both dealt with foul trouble.
“We knew the Lakers would come out with energy,” Randle said. “We just didn’t match it. We missed too many open shots, too many layups, and they stayed in rhythm.”
The best-of-seven series now shifts to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday, with the teams tied 1–1.
