Timberwolves Pull Away in 4th Quarter to Beat Lakers

*Forgot to save changes in the master file, hence why I couldn't change the records. But as it stands, Minnesota improves to 24-24 while Lakers fall to 25-24.*

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' matchup vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves where not even the return of Rajon Rondo wasn't enough to prevent the Lakers from being pummeled as the Timberwolves win in a 120-105 rout.

And the going gets tougher. These last few meetings against the T'Wolves, with the exception of that one win since the acquisition of Chandler, they just continually open up a can of whoop ass on the Lakers. Tonight was pretty competitive for the first three quarters. Then the fourth quarter, the Lakers just gassed out and things just went completely out of hand from flagrant fouls to technical fouls to getting beat in the paint. Clearly, there's a lot of problems with this team once the 4th quarter hits.

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Rajon Rondo, 15 points, 6 rebounds, 13 assists, 6-11 shooting. He hasn't missed a beat after being sidelined for a month. When Rondo's on the floor, it takes away a lot of pressure from a lot players on this Lakers roster to be the playmaker and make a play for teammates. Rondo's function is exactly and he's not afraid to shoot too unlike in years past. Offensively, Rondo looked sharp tonight. And the funny thing is, his index finger is not even close to 100%, that's why he had to adjust and take as minimal contact as he can. Overall, he looked real good out there tonight.

Brandon Ingram, 20 points, 8-14 shooting. B.I. recovered from a really slow start this game. At least with Rondo on board, he doesn't have to be pressured to assume point guard duties and set up. Tonight, he was back to being aggressive, making a play for himself, and get to his sweet spots where he can put the ball in the net.

(-)

34 points off turnovers. 32 second chance pts. Thank you Chris Webber for that stat line as it goes to shows that the Lakers just got bullied inside. Ivica Zubac and JaVale McGee obviously cannot hold KAT much longer inside the paint. But, the Timberwolves got a huge spark off Andrew Wiggins as he spent the majority of this game in attack mode. Honestly, Wiggins' biggest problems since he entered the league was consistency and his lack of assertiveness. Tonight, he showed as a capable 2nd option next to KAT. Lakers got outrebounded off the offensive glass 22-9. Not to mention they comitted 7 more turnovers than Minnesota and the Timberwolves dictated the pace on their accord on that one.

Kyle Kuzma, 10 points, 4-12 shooting. Here we go with one of those funk series from Kuz. This was also a problem last year. After putting together a string of high scoring outputs, he just goes on a trail where he doesn't contribute as much as he should. Tonight, nothing from beyond the arc again. Most of his hook shots were too strong and hitting nothing but rim. We definitely to see KuzMania run wild again.

MVP

Rajon Rondo, 15 points, 6 rebounds, 13 assists, 6-11 shooting

Great to have him back tonight. The Laker offense just flowed much better and everybody didn't have to work as much to get their shot as Rondo creates a lot of opportunity for them. Outside of LeBron and Lonzo to form a "Cerberus" of playmakers, Rondo is just as valuable.

Conclusion

The more the Lakers continue to lose, the more I have to quote Jim Mora. "Playoffs? Don't talk about Playoffs! I just hope we win a game." Because right now the Lakers aren't in a hole, they're in a ditch. This team has been in a downward spiral since LeBron went down with the injury. All I hear is "wait until LeBron comes back." I think the Lakers are way too dependent on 'Bron to go MVP-mode and save them from sinking. Players have to step up, find their rhythm, and play like he's not coming back. And I know the young core is capable of doing more than that with the savvy veterans surrounding them. The Lakers get a winnable game coming up against Phoenix. And then after, with the exception of a home game against Philly, it's a long road trip away from home with a tough schedule up. There needs to be a sense of urgency with this team. For some trivia, the Lakers have only won one game this season when I hosts some open threads (X-Mas vs. Warriors). I'll be on sabbattical yet again and usually, that's when they string together some wins. Let's see if I can work the Juju. But honestly, to the Lakers' young core, LeBron is a stop gap player for the franchise, but you guys are the future. Own it now. I'll see you guys later.

01/24: LAKERS vs. Minnesota Timberwolves 2nd Half Open Thread

2nd half open thread of the Lakers-Timberwolves matchup on TNT. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game!

Q4

MIN 120 LAL 105

The start of this quarter doomed the Lakers as Minnesota built a 12-point lead. Gauging how this game went, it looked like it was going to go down-to-the-wire. But, the Timberwolve just pulled away and did all the little things to win. Goodness, gracious, even with an integral piece in Rondo back, the Lakers still have issues, especially since they're not a team to come from behind unless LeBron's on the court. More to come in the full recap.

Q3

MIN 84 LAL 82

Strong finish to the quarter after a slow start even though the Lakers still trail. They had a solid start this quarter, scoring five quick points. Then, they just fizzled out and the T'Wolves just controlled the pace for the majority of the game after a quick timeout. Give credit where its due. Neither team wants the other to pile up points and build and insurmountable. This is setting up a tightly contested 4th quarter. The Lakers hung around and got themselves back in the game.

01/24: LAKERS vs. Minnesota Timberwolves 1st Half Open Thread

Welcome to the first half open thread of the Lakers' matchup vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves as both teams try to keep afloat in the playoff race in the West. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

MIN 58 LAL 61

Not a good defensive sequence to end the half. But, happy the Lakers have the lead at the half. Of course, the big story here is the return of Rajon Rondo. As I said in the first quarter, all is well when you have one of your floor generals back. Players get to do what they do best without taking up the bulk of the playmaking. Rondo looked good, scoring-wise and facilitating-wise. It's like he hasn't missed one month of action. And that's the big plus right now. But, the Timberwolves are hanging around there as their getting some quality minutes out of Jerryd Bayless off the bench. They're a scrappy bunch despite all the drama that has happened with Jimmy Butler and Tom Thibodeau and they're fighting for a playoff spot as well. For the Lakers, while Rondo is a big boost, we need to see more from our main cast off the young core. Kyle Kuzma finally scored in the 2nd quarter, he's struggled as of late and hope he gets the hot hand back. Ingram's been underwhelming. He had a couple of good looks this first half, he just is not able to knock his shots down. There's still plenty more to play. The 2nd half will open up shortly.

Q1

MIN 28 LAL 29

Quite a struggle for B.I. in this quarter with that jump shot. Outside of that, this quarter shows the beauty of having a playmaker like Rondo back. It was just one game that the Lakers didn't have all three of their floor generals. But, it was nowhere near where it was when the Lakers had a pure playmaker. Rondo's return tonight exemplifies the Lakers' getting back to the flow the offense. He looked good this quarter, knocking down a couple of shots and he takes a lot of pressure off of B.I. and Lance as ball handlers. The last stretch was a bitter finish as the T'Wolves benefited on some and one calls to make this a one point game.

Timberwolves' Defense Wears Down Lakers

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*

Final Score: vs. Minnesota 113-96 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180406/MINLAL#/recap

Next Game: vs. Utah (04/08)

Highlights: *Courtesy of House of Highlights*

The Lakers were good here only for the first half. Brook Lopez, in particular, started hot out of the gate with 15 quick points. The offense early on ran through him since he was the hot hand. Julius Randle and Josh Hart got the Wolves in early foul trouble during that first half. They did a nice job drawing contact on defenders and getting to the free throw line. Randle finished the night making a perfect 10-10 free throws while Hart followed shooting 5-7 from the line. Free throws seemed to be the best friend for the Lakers for once in awhile and it helped build a 7 point lead at the half. Though the second half, it was an entirely different story. Whatever adjustments Tom Thibodeau made at half time defensively, the Timberwolves put the clamps on and played like a team vying for a playoff spot. They forced the Lakers to commit 20 turnovers while they only committed 5 TOs. If I recall from a graphic, the Timberwolves outscored the Lakers in points off turnovers 23-3. We all know, when the Lakers commit so many turnovers, they are guaranteed to lose a game. But where credit it is due, the Timberwolves drained the Lakers with their defense. Not to mention, Jimmy Butler's return provided a big morale boost for Minnesota as he finished with 18 points and lead the team with 4 steals. Final Stats: Julius Randle racked up a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Brook Lopez finished with 18 points. Josh Hart racked up a double-double off the bench with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Ivica Zubac added 14 points and 9 rebounds to the 2nd unit. Kyle Kuzma left the game in early with an ankle sprain and scored a measly 2 points after a 30-point explosion last game against the Spurs. Hopefully, he did not re-aggravate the ankle injury he sustained 3-4 weeks ago in the last regular season matchup against the Denver Nuggets.

Christmas Doubleheader Recap: Raiders, Lakers Get Lumps of Coal From Eagles, Timberwolves

Welcome in to the full recap of a Christmas double-header in the Raiders' Week 16 game at the Philadelphia Eagles and the Lakers' matchup vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves. Both teams were sent packing with an "L" tonight as the Raiders fall to the Eagles in a tightly contested game 10-19 and the Lakers dropping a game to the T'Wolves 121-104.

Not the Christmas gifts we were hoping for. But, for both my fellow Raider and Laker fans, Merry Christmas to all of you. Hope you guys enjoyed time with your family and unwrapped a lot of presents under the tree. Onto the two games, first on the Raiders. They had nothing to play for with the Chiefs winning last night, but they held their own against the NFC's top team. But, they turned the ball over too many times, which costed them an upset victory and I'm sure Vikings fans are livid since they want home field advantage. Not all is bad for Minnesota though. The T'Wolves won against the Lakers behind their trio of Karl Anthony-Towns, Andrew Wiggins, and Jimmy Butler with a little help from Jamal Crawford and Taj Gibson. The Lakers were in it, but so many turnovers and missed shots in the 2nd half doomed them.

Raiders

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Defense. This was pretty much the whole positive of the Monday Night game for the Raiders. I hope they keep John Pagano around. Since, he took over for Ken Norton, Jr., the defense has played a lot better despite the missing pieces around this unit. The entire front outside of Khalil Mack was able to create pressure on Nick Foles. That's the biggest question the Eagles must answer: how can they fill the void Carson Wentz left behind? Because Foles does not have Wentz' scrambling ability. The front seven for the Raiders made Foles uncomfortable throughout the game. They forced some fumbles. Reggie Nelson grabbed an INT. Most impressively, Sean Smith held his own against Alshon Jeffrey, holding him to no catches. Then again, Jeffrey is more of a get up and grab type of receiver and is not as fast. So, Smith was able to get that advantage. Overall, the defense made enough plays for the Derek Carr and the offense to win the game. It's just that Carr and company kept giving it away.

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Turnovers. The Raiders were definitely in the Christmas spirit of giving. Derek Carr threw two interceptions. Marshawn Lynch fumbled after the Raiders get it back with a fumble recovery. Jalen Richard fumbled twice. The 2nd half was pretty much a turnover fest for both teams. So this game came down to who commits the costlier turnovers. It turned out the Raiders did and nothing you can say, other than it's a microcosm of how underwhelming this season has been for the Raiders.

Lakers

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Kyle Kuzma, 31 points, 8-18 shooting. Kuzma got things going for the Lakers to start the game with four quick points. I changed the game back to the Raiders-Eagles game after that. But, looking at the stats sheet in the first half, Kuzma scored 16 points on 6-11 shooting. The great thing about him is that he can create his own shots and he needed to do that since Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram are not there to draw defenses in and free him up. An interesting stat from Bleacher Report is that Kuz is the first rookie to score 30+ points on Christmas Day since LeBron James in 2003. That's a pretty amazing feat and his legend from 27th overall to a star-in-the-making continues to grow.

Julius Randle, 16 points, 7 rebounds, 7-10 shooting. It's either feed Julius Randle down low and he'll bully his way in or let him have the ball and go coast-to-coast full speed and bully his way in. That was the case tonight. That has always been Randle's game, muscling his way into the paint and crashing the boards as well. Commonly, once Randle plays bully ball, that's when the Lakers make their run. Randle continues to come off the bench and just pinball his way off defenders in the paint.

Josh Hart, 12 points, 5-13 shooting. Hart's finding his way into the rotation and making the most out of it. He'll give out good small sample sizes on his game. Tonight, it was making the unselfish passes and making a three to cut the deficit to eight before the T'Wolves pulled away. The Lakers have to continue to give him more PT as he's the overlooked guy between Ball and Kuzma.

Jordan Clarkson, 17 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals. Clarkson is still struggling with his shot with an 8-24 shooting tonight. But, he made his presence known with the all-around stat line. With Ball out, Clarkson filled in well as a facilitator. He set up guys like Randle and Nance nicely for easy shots by using his slashing ability to draw the Timberwolves defense to him.

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The biggest negatives here were the missed shots and the 2nd half turnovers. Based on the report on the first half, the Lakers had chances to build on a big lead, but they ended up missing. I'm sure Clarkson's 8-24 shooting night had something to do with it. KCP also struggled with a 3-11 shooting night. Like JC, Caldwell-Pope has been struggling with his shot. I don't want to believe his legal issue stemming from last season off a DUI had something to do with his struggles. But, he just can't find the range these last few games, especially from three. The turnovers in the 2nd half, Timberwolves defense started to tighten up and swarm the Lakers to turn the ball over.


MVP

Reggie Nelson, 6 tackles, 1 INT

For this weeks MVP, it's like asking "who do I give it to?" The whole defensive unit deserves it, but random selection, Reggie Nelson gets it. It's his last year here, so he might as well ball out while he can. He had an interception to set the Raiders up in good field position to take the lead and could've had a sure pick 6 in the 1st half.



Kyle Kuzma, 31 points, 8-18 shooting

Kuz had to pick up the slack for tonight's game with the Lakers missing Ingram and Ball. But still, he was able to play his game and create his own shots. He's been on a tear these last few games and it looks like Kuz is showing no signs of slowing down.




Conclusion

I'm almost there to the finish line on this hectic Christmas night. Overall if you think about it, turnovers and misfires directly link to the Raiders and Lakers losses tonight. There is not a lot of luster for either games. The Raiders are playing for pride after being eliminated from playoff contention. The Lakers are still in the development stage and the Timberwolves were able to take advantage of Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram's absence. Only one more week for the Raiders till this jinx of a season is over when they wrap it up against the Chargers on New Year's Eve. Raider Nation, I'll see you guys next week for that game. On the Lakers' side, I missed out on the Portland game on Saturday night. I'll provide a quick fact check and commentary for that game tomorrow. Other than that, Merry Christmas to all Raider and Laker family and friends even though both outcomes were not what we wanted for this holiday season. I'll see you guys later.

#ReignTogether 12/25: LAKERS vs. T'Wolves 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

The 2nd half of the Lakers-Timberwolves matchup in a battle of two young teams with rising star potential. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

MIN 121 LAL 104

Taj Gibson and Karl Anthony-Towns took over when the Timberwolves needed it and they came up with the win. Lakers tried to make a final run, but Minnesota clamped down on the defensive end generating a lot of turnovers, hence why they had a flurry down the stretch to seal this game. Kuzma, Hart, Clarkson, and Randle tried to carry this shorthanded Laker team, but when the Timberwolves built up the 10 point lead in this 4th quarter, it just became insurmountable. Stay tuned for a mega recap.

Q3

MIN 83 LAL 80

Rarely do you see the refs call a foul with 1 second to go. But, Kuzma did a nice job selling the contact for three shots. Based on the stats in the 1st half, both teams were pretty much neck-and-neck. I heard that the Lakers had a couple of opportunities to blow up the score, but they just kept missing a shots. Probably, Minnesota's defense and their trio of Town, Butler, and Wiggins add into the equation. The 3rd quarter, that story carried over. When the Timberwolves look like they were about to pull away with defense to offense, the Lakers come right back. Julius Randle is at the center of it this quarter, just bullying his way into the paint for easy baskets. T'Wolves are holding on to a three point lead, but the Lakers continue to creep on them with Ball and Ingram out tonight. 

#ReignTogether 12/25: LAKERS vs. Minnesota Timberwolves 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Merry Christmas! Since the Raiders-Eagles game is still ongoing by the time the Lakers-Timberwolves game starts, priority will be given to the Raiders-Eagles game, unless the score is not close. However, the 1st half open thread is still on and feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts in the game. I'll see you guys in the 2nd half.

Q2

MIN 53 LAL 52

Q1

MIN 29 LAL 20