The Lakers took care of business in Game 2 and have tied their first-round series against the Timberwolves. Head coach JJ Redick made necessary adjustments, particularly in the defensive coverage of Anthony Edwards. NBA analyst Shannon Sharpe raises Nikola Jokic and LeBron James as prime examples of how Los Angeles contained the Timberwolves star.
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The script completely flipped between Game 1 and Game 2. In the first game of the series, Minnesota had its way on both sides of the ball. As a result, they eliminated the Lakers’ supporting cast from developing any semblance of a rhythm. On the offensive side of the ball, Edwards did a stellar job of getting everyone involved.
Although Edwards had 22 points in Game 1, his playmaking really hurt the Lakers. He finished the game with 9 assists. In Game 2, Redick decided to take away Edwards’ facilitation, which proved to be the deciding factor.
Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson took to their Nightcap podcast to share their thoughts on the Lakers’ 94-85 victory over the Timberwolves. Sharpe loved the defensive philosophy of the Lakers and shed light on how they contained Edwards.
“The other night, he had 9 assists; tonight he had none,” Sharpe said. “LeBron, Jokic, these guys give you 20-30 and give you 11-12 assists. Not only are they getting theirs, they’re helping somebody else eat also.”
Edwards helped the role players on Minnesota eat abundantly in Game 1. Naz Reid had 23 points, and Jaden McDaniels had 25 points. But in Game 2, Reid only finished with 9 points, and McDaniels added 8 points. Ant-Man had 25 points, but it didn’t matter, since the rest of the team couldn’t find a groove.
The same ideology can be used with LeBron. In Game 1, he only had 3 assists, and the Lakers’ offense struggled because of it. But in Game 2, he played like his usual self in regard to facilitating, recording 7 assists. As a result, the Lakers won the game.
It didn’t help the Timberwolves that the Lakers’ trio was sensational. Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and James combined for 68 of the team’s 94 points. When all three are clicking at that level, they are a difficult team to stop.
Fortunately for the Timberwolves, the series now shifts to Minnesota. They have two days to prepare to counteract the Lakers’ defensive adjustments. This series has been a chess match between head coaches and will continue in that direction.
Game 3 will take place on Friday, April 25, at 9:30 PM ET on ESPN.
