Timberwolves Defeat Lakers as LeBron James and Anthony Davis Sit Out

The Minnesota Timberwolves took full advantage of LeBron James‘ absence and Anthony Davis leaving the game early due to an eye injury, securing a 127-117 victory with a 10-point lead in the City of Angels. Naz Reid sank six 3-pointers and scored 31 points, helping the Timberwolves solidify their spot alongside the Denver Nuggets at the top of the Western Conference with a 54-24 record.

Anthony Edwards added 26 points, contributing to the Timberwolves‘ seventh win in their last nine games. Meanwhile, the Lakers played most of the game without their two biggest stars: LeBron James missed out due to flu-like symptoms, while Anthony Davis headed to the locker room after a collision with Kyle Anderson that affected his eye toward the end of the first quarter. Davis did not return, and Lakers’ coach Darvin Ham had no updates on his condition post-game.

“We clearly had a big opportunity here,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. Minnesota quickly widened the gap in Davis’s absence, scoring 46 points in just the second half. Rudy Gobert added significant support with 18 points and 16 rebounds, while LA Lakers held steady during the third quarter.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who scored 15 points, said, “Offensively, we played the right way. Their defense lacked height, and we capitalized on that to execute some effective plays.” Hoping to secure the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed for only the second time in franchise history, Minnesota bounced back strong after their season’s worst offensive performance against Phoenix last Friday.

Rui Hachimura scored 30 points for the Lakers, but the team’s four-game winning streak came to an end with this loss, their second in 11 games. The Lakers are now ninth in the hyper-competitive Western Conference after recently moving up to eighth place for the first time since late December.

Jaxson Hayes, a Lakers reserve, scored 19 points and had 10 assists, while Spencer Dinwiddie added 18 points and seven assists. D’Angelo Russell, whom the Lakers counted on, struggled, finishing with 15 points and 11 assists after missing 14 of his 19 shots.

Timberwolves quickly gained control, leading 79-64 in the first half as Reid contributed 18 points. Scoring a total of 46 points across two games against the Lakers, Naz Reid joked, “I just really shine under the lights.”