LeBron James scores 38 but the LA Lakers suffer a setback against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3 of their opening-round playoff series in the Western Conference.
On the Lakers’ side, LeBron James recorded a game-high of 38 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Austin Reaves scored 20 points including five three-pointers, while Luka Dončić had 17 points but struggled with shooting efficiency, making only 6 of 16 from the field and 2 of 8 from behind the arc. Dončić was also involved in five of Los Angeles’ 19 turnovers but managed eight assists and seven rebounds.
The Timberwolves dominated in the second half with a 62-46 score.
Dončić tried to bridge the gap with a step-back jumper that evened the score at 103-103 with 4:37 remaining. However, the Timberwolves quickly regained their lead, cementing a seven-point margin in the ensuing minutes.
Anthony Edwards played a pivotal role in securing the win for Minnesota, sinking crucial shots and finishes, including an impressive triple that set the home crowd ablaze with just 1:06 left, increasing the lead to 113-104.
With Rui Hachimura missing a three-point attempt for the Lakers, Jaden McDaniels extended the Timberwolves’ lead with a three-pointer in the late moments of the game, sealing the final score at 116-104 with 39.1 seconds left.
Entering the fourth quarter, the Timberwolves held a slight lead over the Lakers, 86-84.
Minnesota managed to outpace the Lakers early in the third quarter with an 8-0 run that included back-to-back three-pointers by Edwards and Randle. The Lakers pulled within 67-65 courtesy of an alley-oop dunk by James.
A highlight play came when Edwards soared for a dunk after driving past a leaping Dončić, granting the Timberwolves a 76-72 advantage.
The Lakers held a 58-54 lead at halftime.
Game 4 is set to take place on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.
In other playoff games, Gary Trent Jr and Giannis Antetokounmpo each scored 37 points to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 117-101 comeback win over the visiting Indiana Pacers, leveling their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at 2-1.
In Florida, Franz Wagner broke a tie late in the game with consecutive driving hoops and the Orlando Magic held on to win 95-93 against the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
