Lakers News: LeBron James Insider Believes LA Will Vanquish Timberwolves
The play-in tournament is set, Laker fans. Your Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night for the right to be the number seven seed and face the number two seed, the Memphis Grizzlies, in the Western Conference playoffs' first round.
LA has two spots to get into the playoffs, but I prefer they take care of business on Tuesday. The Lakers are coming into the play-in tournament after a drama-free win against the Utah Jazz, unlike the T-Wolves, who head into the postseason hobbled and filled with drama off their win on Sunday against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Many experts are picking the Lakers to advance to the seventh seed, including ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst who believes LA has the upper hand.
"Advantage Lakers," Windhorst opined. They get to be at home, and they get a team who is angry at each other and wounded."
It's a one-game scenario, anything can happen, but the Lakers have shown to be the better team post-All-Star break, and I too expect LA to move on to the first round.
The T-wolves drama was quite evident on Sunday, going into Monday. It was announced earlier today that the Wolves will suspend all-star center Rudy Gobert for the first play-in game after punching teammate Kyle Anderson in the huddle. Rudy was sent home after that and apologized to the team publicly and privately.
The Wolves will also be without their best perimeter defender Jaden McDaniel, who punched a wall out of frustration and fractured his right hand. They also continue to miss big man Naz Reid, who is out the rest of the season due to a left scaphoid fracture.
Hobbled opponent or not, LA must take care of business to avoid a single elimination game and to get some rest before things kick off on Sunday. Regardless, it should be an exciting one to witness, Laker fans.
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