Timberwolves' fourth-quarter rally falls short in Game 2 loss to Lakers

Minnesota dug itself too big a hole Tuesday night, falling behind by 22 points in the first half.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic posts up against Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels during the first quarter of Game 2 of their first-round playoff series at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on April 22, 2025. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said he expected the Los Angeles Lakers to be a "different animal" in Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round series, and they certainly lived up to expectations Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

While Finch's Timberwolves admirably battled back to cut a 22-point deficit to single digits late in the fourth quarter, they ultimately couldn't tame the beast in a 94-85 loss at Crypto.com Arena. The loss evens the series at one game apiece.

It was a far cry from Minnesota's Game 1 performance, and frankly, for much of the night, the Wolves looked like lost pups. They started the game in almost identical fashion to the series opener, allowing Luka Doncic to explode for 16 of his game-high 31 points while their own stagnant offense allowed the Lakers to take a 34-15 lead after the opening frame.

Aside from Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards, no one else on the Timberwolves could buy a bucket. Minnesota shot just 38% from the field and 20% from 3-point range. Randle scored a team-high 27 points on 9-for-17 shooting, but the rest of the team shot just 21 for 62 (34%). Wolves reserves scored just 19 points, a big dropoff from the 43 in Game 1.

Perhaps most damning was the Wolves were outrebounded by the much-smaller Lakers, 41-34.

Meanwhile, it was another masterclass for Doncic, who had 12 rebounds and nine assists to go along with his 31 points. This time, his supporting cast also showed up. LeBron James had a strong two-way game and finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, a block and a steal. Austin Reaves had 16 points on 50% shooting, five boards and five assists.

Edwards finished with 25 points and six rebounds. Edwards and Randle were the only Wolves to score in double figures.

Lakers coach J.J. Redick acknowledged his team wasn't ready for Minnesota's physicality in Game 1, but they came ready for it in a chippy Game 2 that saw the two teams combine for 46 fouls — 24 for the Lakers and 22 for the Wolves. Despite physicality being something Minnesota typically embraces, this time, it felt like the Wolves were the ones not ready for it.

If there's a silver lining, it's that the Wolves played bad, really bad, for much of the night and still found a way to get it back to single digits in the fourth quarter. Nevertheless, the Lakers' best shot was enough to even the series. The Wolves need to be sharper Friday night when they host the Lakers for Game 3. Tipoff at Target Center is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CT.