How To Watch Timberwolves at Lakers Play-In Game On Tuesday
The 2022-23 NBA regular season has come to an end, which means it is time for the Play-In Tournament and playoffs to begin!
On Tuesday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers will begin postseason play in the Western Conference’s first play-in game to determine the 7-seed and who will get a date with the Memphis Grizzlies in the first-round of the playoffs.
Finishing a single game ahead of the Timberwolves In the standings, the Lakers enter this game with a lot of momentum. Los Angeles has won nine of their last eleven games, including their final two games of the regular season.
Both LeBron James and Anthony Davis are healthy again for the Lakers and with their added depth, this is a team that could wind up surprising many in the playoffs.
On the other side of things, Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and the Timberwolves are trending downhill and will be short-handed in this game.
Jaden McDaniels is out indefinitely after fracturing his hand punching a wall in the team’s final game of the regular season and three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert is suspended one game after punching Kyle Anderson in a huddle during the same game!
Can the Timberwolves two stars in Edwards and Towns pick up a huge road win in this play-in game or will LeBron, Davis and the Lakers steamroll past Minnesota?
Here's how to watch Tuesday’s game, with game time and TV, lineups, bios and other must-know details.
How to watch Timberwolves vs. Lakers
WHO: Minnesota Timberwolves (42-40) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (43-39)
WHAT: 2023 NBA Western Conference Play-In Tournament: 7-seed Game
WHEN: 10:00 p.m. ET, Tuesday, April 11
WHERE: crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
TV: TNT
Key Stats & Facts For Timberwolves vs. Lakers
- The Timberwolves and Lakers faced off three times during the regular season with the Timberwolves winning two of the three games by an average of 8.5 points in those two games. Los Angeles’ only win against Minnesota was a 12-point road victory.
- The Lakers finished the regular season ranking 11th in defensive rating and sixth in points per game (117.2), while the Timberwolves finished the regular season ranking tenth in defensive rating and 13th in points per game (115.8).
- Los Angeles is 23-18 at home this season and Minnesota is 20-21 on the road.
COMPLETE 2023 NBA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE & RESULTS: CLICK HERE
Last Matchup:
March 31, 2023 - Lakers 123, Timberwolves 111
Going for 38 points, 17 rebounds and two blocks, Anthony Davis was able to lead the Lakers to a victory over the Timberwolves in these two team’s final meeting of the regular season. All five starters for the Lakers scored at least 12 points and they outscored the Timberwolves by eight points at the free-throw line, going 24-30 compared to Minnesota’s 16-19 free-throw shooting. Karl-Anthony Towns and Mike Conley combined to score 48 points for the Timberwolves in this game and Minnesota actually outscored the Lakers by 12 points from three-point range.
Latest Injury News:
Timberwolves Injuries: Naz Reid (wrist) - Out, Jaden McDaniels (hand) - Out, Rudy Gobert (suspension) - Out, Jaylen Nowell (knee) - Questionable, Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) - Questionable
Lakers Injuries: D’Angelo Russell (foot) - Probable, Anthony Davis (foot) - Probable, LeBron James (foot) - Probable
Projected Starters:
PROJECTED TIMBERWOLVES STARTERS:
- G Mike Conley, 6-1 guard: 14.0 points, 5.0 assists (2022-23 season stats)
- G Anthony Edwards, 6-4 guard: 24.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists
- F Taurean Prince, 6-7 forward: 9.1 points, 2.4 rebounds
- F Kyle Anderson, 6-9 forward: 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists
- C Karl-Anthony Towns, 6-11 center: 20.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists
PROJECTED LAKERS STARTERS:
- G D’Angelo Russell, 6-4 guard: 17.4 points, 6.1 assists
- G Austin Reaves, 6-5 guard: 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists
- F LeBron James, 6-9 forward, 6-7 forward: 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists
- F Jarred Vanderbilt, 6-9 forward: 7.2 points, 6.7 rebounds
- F/C Anthony Davis, 6-10 forward/center: 25.9 points, 12.5 rebounds
COMPLETE 2023 NBA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE & RESULTS: CLICK HERE
Betting Odds:
- The Lakers are currently 3.5-point favorites over the Timberwolves as of Tuesday morning, according to SI Sportsbook.
- The over/under for this matchup is currently set at 231.5 total points.
What to watch for:
- The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to make it back to the playoffs after missing the postseason a year ago. They recently won a championship in 2020.
- The Minnesota Timberwolves earned a spot in the playoffs a season ago for the first-time since 2018 after playing in the Play-In Tournament, but they lost in six games in their first-round series.
- The Lakers had seven different players on their active roster average at least 10.0 points per game during the regular season.
- Los Angeles is 41-21 this season when they score at least 110 points. Minnesota is 36-21 this season when they score at least 110 points.
- The Lakers and Timberwolves have played a total of 12 playoff games and two playoff series all-time. Los Angeles is 8-4 against Minnesota in the postseason, winning both series by a score of 4-2.
Be sure to catch up on the newest episode of The Fast Break Podcast hosted by Fastbreak's own Brett Siegel!
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