“Helpless” Lakers star lambasted as NBA giants face early Playoffs elimination
With the Los Angeles Lakers staring down the barrel of elimination from the NBA postseason, the blame game is in full swing.
The Los Angeles Lakers are on the ropes, down 3-1 after letting two winnable games slip away in Minnesota. They failed to reclaim the home-court advantage that the Timberwolves had stolen in the opening game of the First-Round series. The situation is now critical for the 17-time NBA champions: they must win three straight games against a team that has been better than them so far, displaying greater ability and fitness.
If the Lakers can’t pull off a turnaround - and NBA history suggests they won’t - the Californians will be eliminated at the first hurdle of the Playoffs for the second season in a row.
Timberwolves in top shape
During the regular season, the Lakers secured home-court advantage for the First Round, but have ended up facing one of the hottest teams in the NBA, a side that finished the season brilliantly after a shaky start in the wake of the strange Karl-Anthony Towns trade. The Timberwolves ended up being one of only four teams in the top 10 on both offensive and defensive rating. That says a lot.
So the Lakers have no margin for error after a poor start to Game 1, a horrible finish to Game 3 - and an inability to close out Game 4, despite leading for much of the final quarter and entering the last possessions with an advantage.
Doncic disappoints in Lakers losses
After reaching the Finals with the Dallas Mavericks last season, Luka Doncic is also facing an early exit, which would be a major disappointment - even if the Lakers didn’t sign him up with the immediate term in mind. The franchise hasn’t had a summer to build a stronger team around the Slovenian.
But Doncic wasn’t at his best in the two games in Minneapolis: in the first, because he was hampered by illness; in the second, because he disappeared in the last quarter, both defensively and offensively, at a time when LeBron James, who played an imperious game on defense, needed support.
In this series, Doncic is averaging 30.8 points, seven rebounds and five assists, with 4.5 turnovers, 46.5% overall shooting and 36.8% from three-pointers. It’s clear there are components missing in the team (a center, more shooters who can defend, a top-tier perimeter defender), but it’s also clear that an in-form Doncic probably wouldn’t have let victory slip away in Game 4 on Sunday.
It’s a defeat that looks to have definitively condemned the Lakers to elimination, when a win would have reopened the doors to the series, allowing J.J. Redick’s men to head back to L.A. level at 2-2.
And in the wake of the Lakers’ latest loss, Zach Lowe - one of the NBA’s most respected analysts - has rounded on Doncic’s defensive application, laying into the “helpless” guard on his new podcast.
“You’re down 3-1 and probably going home”
“Why do you have to get humiliated at the beginning of every single Playoff series before you show the world, like, ‘Yeah, I can actually put in a little bit more of an effort on defense,’ Lowe fumed, adding: “Here we are, we’re four games into this series and he’s just helpless.”
Lowe concluded: “I’m just tired of like, ‘I’m going to be embarrassed until our backs are against the wall and then I’m going to show that, yeah, I can put up a little bit of a fight.’ How about you put up a fucking fight in, like, Game 1? Now you’re down 3-1 and you’re probably going home.”
Lowe also pointed to a statistic that indicates an offensive shortcoming on Doncic’s part: “Luka only has 20 assists in four games [in the series against the Timeberwolves], which for him is not very many.”
Timberwolves vs Lakers: how to watch
In Game 5 of the teams’ First-Round postseason series, the Los Angeles Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, April 30, with tip-off at Crypto.com Arena scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.
Viewers in the U.S. can watch Game 5 on TNT/TruTV, while your streaming options include the online platform fubo, which offers a free trial. You can also follow live-text coverage of the Timberwolves vs the Lakers right here at AS USA.
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
Complete your personal details to comment
Your opinion will be published with first and last names