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The Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves will play Game 3 of their Western Conference playoff series tonight in Minneapolis at the Target Center. Neither team shot very well in Game 2, but the Lakers still won pretty convincingly, and the 94-85 score made the game look closer than it was. Game 3 heads to Minnesota’s home court, so with the series tied 1-1, a huge advantage goes to the team that wins Game 3.
Let’s dive into this Game 3 matchup while recapping Game 3 and making a pick for tomorrow night.
After dropping Game 1 on their home court by 22 points, the Lakers got their groove back to an extent. They scored in the mid-90s for the second straight game, but Minnesota’s shooting was much worse at under 40% from the field. All in all, it was a very ugly game, with 46 fouls between the two teams. LA and Minnesota combined to go 11-for-54 from three-point range in Game 2, with the Timberwolves going from a 21-for-42 night from three in Game 1 to a paltry 5-for-25 in Game 2. I expect Minnesota to land somewhere in the middle in Game 3.
Minnesota’s scoring was very top-heavy, with Julius Randle’s 27 points and Anthony Edwards’ 25 points representing most of the heavy lifting for the Timberwolves. No other Minnesota player scored in double digits as the Timberwolves shot just 38% in Game 2. On the flip side, the Lakers have no shortage of playmakers, with Luka Doncic falling one assist shy of a triple-double with a team-leading 31 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists. LeBron James (21 points), Austin Reaves (16) and Rui Hachimura (11) also chipped in. Head coach J.J. Redick tightened up the screws on the defensive end as they never trailed after the first three minutes of the game and led 34-15 at the end of the first quarter.
After the blowout in Game 1, the Lakers dug in and played more defensive basketball in Game 2, which worked. If Los Angeles is going to be a defensive team as well, with their big improvements in that area, they’re going to be tough to stop as a team that can grind out games but also throw multiple playmaking scoring options on offense. The Timberwolves, of course, have Edwards, but he’s their only creator on the offensive end. The Georgia product has to be the key for the rest of the series if Minnesota wants to stay competitive with Los Angeles.
Looking at Game 3 from a DFS perspective, it’s hard to ignore Doncic and his ability to pace the Lakers team. He’s scored 37 and 31 points in Games 1 and 2, and even with help from LeBron and Reaves, he’s been the best player on the floor regardless of uniform.
Of all of the playmakers on the court for both teams, Doncic has been the most consistent, and if you had to predict somebody going off in Game 3, it’s likely going to be Doncic. Expect him to maintain his scoring touch while flirting heavily with a triple-double in Game 3. The former Dallas star is averaging 49.0 points, rebounds and assists through two games, and I anticipate he will surpass this average tonight.
Zach has been a published sports writer since 2018 specializing in college football & basketball, MLB and NFL content for multiple publications.