The Lakers have spent months fighting their way into the play-in tournament, shaking off a dismal 2-10 start and capitalizing on the season-altering Russell Westbrook trade to post a Western Conference-best 16-7 record since the all-star break. Though James and company couldn’t quite claim a guaranteed playoff spot in a congested race, they secured the right to host their play-in opener with a win Sunday.
Despite that remarkable turnaround and James’s enduring star power, Los Angeles won’t be headlining Tuesday’s showdown. The Timberwolves earned top billing in the worst manner possible, coming apart at the seams during the final game of the season: Rudy Gobert threw a midgame punch at teammate Kyle Anderson, while Jaden McDaniels injured his hand after punching a wall in frustration. The nagging chemistry questions that had plagued Minnesota since its polarizing trade for Gobert last summer boiled over at the worst possible moment.
“Emotions got the best of me today,” Gobert wrote on Twitter. “I should not have reacted the way I did regardless of what was said. I wanna apologize to the fans, the [organization] and particularly to Kyle, who is someone that I truly love and respect as a teammate.”
The Timberwolves’ dysfunction could play to the Lakers’ advantage. The team announced Monday a one-game suspended for Gobert. He’ll join McDaniels on the sideline for Tuesday’s contest with Minnesota also missing backup center Naz Reid, who is out following wrist surgery. The Timberwolves won the season series, 2-1, but Los Angeles scored a 123-111 road victory March 31 that was crucial to securing the No. 7 seed.
As if Minnesota’s internal chaos wasn’t enough, two Lakers starters, D’Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt, are former Timberwolves. Russell will get a chance to make his former team pay for not signing him to a long-term extension, while Edwards, a rising star looking to build his postseason résumé, will lead Minnesota’s upset bid.
Also looming over this matchup is James’s health; the 38-year-old forward hasn’t quite displayed his typical explosiveness since returning from a foot injury that nearly required season-ending surgery. James decried the play-in concept when it was first introduced, but he hit a game-winning three-pointer against the Golden State Warriors in the 2021 tournament. That year, the Lakers went on to lose to the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
If the Lakers can handle the Timberwolves this time, they will draw the No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies, who are missing injured centers Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke and are still putting the pieces back together after Ja Morant’s gun-related suspension. James repeatedly made it clear this season that he wanted a chance to compete for championships, and the Lakers’ path has set up quite nicely considering their atrocious start.
The loser of Lakers vs. Timberwolves will host a play-in game Friday to secure the No. 8 seed and a date with the top-seeded Denver Nuggets.
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