Rusty Offense, Leaky Defense: Lakers' Path after Game 1

In their first playoff home Game 1 since 2012, the Lakers came out swinging, fueled by Luka Dončić’s hot start with 16 first-quarter points and an early 8-point lead. But things unraveled quickly. From the start of the second quarter through the midpoint of the third, the Timberwolves went on a dominant 67–33 run, completely flipping the momentum. Minnesota’s massive frontline—Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, and Julius Randle—controlled the glass, disrupted passing lanes, and dictated the game defensively. Their defensive pressure forced L.A. into rushed possessions and turnovers, while the Wolves buried a franchise playoff record 21 threes on 42 attempts, stretching the Lakers' defense to its breaking point. The gap in energy and transition defense was just as glaring, with Minnesota holding a commanding 25–6 advantage in fast break points. Now, the question heading into Game 2 is clear: What adjustments can the Lakers make to regain control? Let’s break down where things went wrong—and what needs to change.

The Cost of Overhelping on Defense

While some may argue that there’s no way Minnesota can replicate their historic shooting night, there’s more nuance to it than that. Yes, shooting 21-of-42 from three is an elite-level performance, but the quality of looks they were getting made it far more sustainable than it appears at first glance. Of those 42 attempts, 27 were classified as wide open and 15 as open, with zero coming against tight or very tight coverage. So while the efficiency may dip, the underlying issue for the Lakers is undeniable: they gave up far too many high-percentage looks.

The root of the problem seemed to be persistent overhelping throughout the game. With Jaxon Hayes logging just 8 minutes, the Lakers leaned heavily into small ball, which amplified their natural tendency to collapse in the paint. While this swarming style has worked for them in stretches of the regular season, it backfired in Game 1. Too often they were digging aimlessly one pass away, helping off the strong-side corner, or clogging the lane excessively—all of which led to open perimeter looks, especially from the corners, where Minnesota went 9-of-12.

Timberwolves Shot Chart

The original plan was to make Anthony Edwards a decision-maker under pressure, but instead the Lakers made his reads too easy, allowing him to rack up 9 assists. The adjustment moving forward should be more disciplined help: staying home on true shooters like Naz Reid, who torched them with 6-of-9 shooting from deep, while selectively helping off less dangerous options like Jaden McDaniels or Julius Randle—still making sure to at least contest those shots and not simply ignoring the closeout. Defenders at the point of attack must do a better job containing dribble penetration to avoid constant collapses.

Another critical piece is securing defensive rebounds to eliminate second-chance threes, which burned the Lakers multiple times in Game 1. This is not just a schematic adjustment, but one that demands sharper, more disciplined rebounding efforts from the players themselves.

Shaking off the Rust: Why Lebron and Reaves Must Bounce Back

While Luka Dončić delivered an excellent offensive performance in Game 1—dropping 37 points on 12-of-22 shooting and 5-of-10 from three—his co-stars, LeBron James and Austin Reaves, appeared to still be shaking off the rust after an eight-day layoff following the regular season. The two combined for an inefficient 35 points on 31 shots, a clear drop-off from their usual production. Reaves, in particular, has shown he’s capable of near All-Star level impact, finishing the season averaging 23.3 points and 5.2 assists on 49.0% from the field and 41.1% from deep over March and April. When he scored 20 or more, the Lakers went 27–9 during the regular season—making his scoring and playmaking absolutely essential to their success. While his slow start was concerning, he found a rhythm in the second half, scoring 14 points and hitting 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. That second-half surge suggests his struggles may have simply been a case of early rust.

As for LeBron, it's very reasonable to expect a sharper Game 2 from the four-time champion, as he's been through countless playoff battles and knows how to get to his spots. However, his approach may need some tweaking. Unlike past matchups where he could blow by bigs off the dribble, he struggled to get past Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid, each of whom blocked him on separate drives and consistently contested his finishes. Instead of relying on speed, look for LeBron to operate more out of the high or low post—targeting smaller defenders on switches where he can use his strength to power through, shoot over with his shoulder fadeaway, or hit shooters with his signature skip pass if help comes. If both Reaves and LeBron can return to their usual levels of shot creation and efficiency, the Lakers’ offense will look far more dangerous moving forward.