E Da Old Tymer

In a nail-biting finale, the Los Angeles Lakers narrowly escaped Minnesota with a 116-115 victory over the Timberwolves, thanks to Austin Reaves channeling his inner Black Mamba.  Reaves delivered a clutch 12-foot floater, sealing the victory and preventing an embarrassing late-game defensive lapse.

The Lakers (3-2) were propelled once again by future all-star guard Austin Reaves heroic performance, notching 28 points and a season-high 16 assists.  New addition Jake LaRavia made an impact, contributing 27 points and 8 rebounds in his extended roles thanks to the Lakers extensive injury woes.  DeAndre Ayton continued to impress defensively, adding 17 points and 10 rebounds to the mix.  The Lakers had 5 players scoring in double-digits, including 17 from Rui Hachimura on 7-14 shooting, and Dalton Knecht’s 15 points off the bench.

Julius Randle continues to make a strong case for All-Star consideration as well, torching the Laker for 33 points, including 4-7 from downtown and grabbing 5 boards.  Jaden McDaniels also stood out in the loss, with 30 points, 7 rebounds and shooting an impressive 75 percent from three.  Donte DiVincenzo was a menace on defense and added 14 points, hitting 3-5 from beyond the arch.  The absence of star guard, Anthony Edwars was apparent, as he sat out the contest due to a hamstring injury.  The Timberwolves bench did what they could to fill the void, with Bones Hyland and Rob Dillingham both had an 8 point effort. 

The Lakers struggled a bit early in game but were able to capitalize off of Edwards absence, taking a 62-58 lead into halftime.  Re-energized, the Lakers surged ahead to take a commanding 20 point lead late in the game.  But the Timberwolves scrapped and fought back, with the physical Randle exploiting the Lakers interior defense and giving the Wolves a 115-114 lead with 10.2 seconds on the clock.  With no timeouts left, the Lakers once again turned to their savvy guard Reaves who drove the lane and delivered the game-winning floater. 

Despite being banged up, the Lakers welcomed the return of Jaxson Hayes tonight, who had missed the first four games due to a leg injury.  Marcus Smart was upgraded to questionable with a leg injury before the game but did not suit up. 

The Lakers will get to enjoy a day off before heading to Memphis to face the Grizzlies.