'It's a very difficult opponent': Redick wary of Wolves' elite surge since March

Wolves are 17-4 since the calendar flipped to March while the Lakers are 13-11. Minnesota owns the No. 2 offensive rating during that stretch.

Feb 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick during the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images | Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

There aren't any cupcake matchups in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, but the ultimate street fight is likely going to be the battle between No. 3 Los Angeles and No. 6 Minnesota.

The Lakers (50-32) finished one game ahead of the Timberwolves (49-32), but Minnesota has without a doubt been the better team over the last six weeks. Since March 1, the Wolves are 17-4 — the fourth-best record in the NBA — while the Lakers are 13-11.

LeBron James didn't play in seven of those 24 games due to a groin injury, and the Lakers went 3-4 without him. The Lakers went 44-26 in games with LeBron healthy this season, and they've gone 18-10 in games with Luka Doncic in the lineup. Their record with LeBron and Luka in the lineup together is 15-8.

For the season, the Wolves ranked 8th and 6th in offensive and defensive rating, respectively. But they've been a monster since March 1. Look at how the Wolves and Lakers compare since March 1.

Category	Wolves (rank)	Lakers (rank)
PPG	121.0 (4)	114.8 (15)
+/-	11.4 (2)	0.4 (17)
O-Rating	121.9 (2)	117.2 (11)
D-Rating	110.7 (7)	116.5 (18)
Net Rating	11.2 (4)	0.7 (17)

“It’s a very difficult opponent,” Lakers head coach J.J. Redick said Sunday, via The Athletic. “They’ve played as well as anyone lately. I believe they’re one of four teams in the top 10 in offense and defense. So they present a lot of problems.”

Only four teams ranked in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency this season: Oklahoma City, Cleveland, Boston and Minnesota.

Minnesota split the regular season series with L.A. 2-2 and the home team won every game. In the most recent meeting on Feb. 27, the Lakers won 111-102, but the Wolves were without Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle.

The series could go either way. The Wolves are as dangerous as any team in the league when they're playing at their best. The Lakers have LeBron and Luka, making them an instant title contender. Will the refs steal the show? Will Minnesota get a fair whistle? Will the Lakers run Gobert off the court? Will Chris Finch keep up with Redick in the coaching chess match?

This series has all the makings for a classic. Game 1 is Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT in L.A.