Luka Donsic stole the show as the Los Angeles Lakers leveled the first round series of the Western Conference against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves shocked the Lakers by winning their first game at crypto.com arena last weekend.
JJ Redick’s team had to bounce back quickly, and thanks to Luka Doncic, they regained their confidence after a rather comfortable victory.
The Slovenians were at their best in Game 2, scoring 31 points and taking advantage of Rudy Gobert in particular.
Doncic is almost impossible to defend the best wing defender in the NBA, let alone a 7-foot center like Gobert.
He’s not fast, but his footwork and cleverness makes chasing him very difficult. Gobert has done this more than ever in Game 2.
The Lakers intentionally switched former defensive player of the year to Doncic.
Reporter Taylor Lukes asked the 26-year-old after the game:
Doncic replied. “Yeah, from the start, I always say I like to attack the centre.
“We went a little further into the first quarter and set the tone for everyone else.
Donsic will hope to continue “attacking” Goatbert for the rest of the series. It’s no surprise that Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch will have to eventually take him away.
Doncic’s biggest criticism is his inactive defense. The Lakers Guard has been consistently targeted by opposition players.
Well, in Game 2 with the Timberwolves he was by no means Gary Payton, but he stepped up and got a quality defense towards the end.
Donsic thought about his efforts on that side of the ball. “Yeah, I think it’s great. The whole team helps. It’s not just the individual. It’s all five people on the floor. That’s what we have to do.”
The Lakers will never be a good defensive team with Donsic and Austin as the backcourt with Reeves, but they can’t afford to be awful with title aspirations.
Holding the Timberwolves at 85 is a great sign and Redick will be desperate to continue throughout the postseason.