Timberwolves land a comfortable victory over Lakers in game marked by discomfort

Chris Hine, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Dec 13, 2024

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MINNEAPOLIS — The extended break for both the Lakers and Timberwolves did neither team any good when they took the floor Friday night at Target Center. Both looked rusty, to say the least, and the Lakers were without LeBron James, who is away from the team.

Free-flowing offense was nowhere in sight, but the Wolves still had a few players who showed up enough for them to pull out a 97-87 win.

Julius Randle provided offense when little else was working with 21 points, but the best player on the floor for the Wolves on Friday was Jaden McDaniels, who continued his strong defense while providing offensive pop with 18 points, nine rebounds and a career-high five steals.

The other positive for the Wolves was that the defense they found before their break returned, though the Lakers helped them out with some bad offense. The Lakers had 22 turnovers and shot 38%. Anthony Davis had 23 points for the Lakers while former Wolves guard D’Angelo Russell had five points on 2-of-10 shooting. Anthony Edwards had 23 points for the Wolves and was able to battle through an injured left ankle. The Wolves shot just 40%

Mistakes, misses everywhere

The Lakers began the game by committing 11 turnovers, which the Wolves turned into 16 points in the first quarter. The Wolves led 32-23 on the back of eight Randle points. Nickeil Alexander-Walker injected some life with a couple of nice passes that set up open 3-pointers for his teammates, while the Wolves defense that had improved before this week showed up early.

The Wolves said hold my beer to the Lakers' turnover issue in the first by missing their first 13 shots of the second quarter. Naz Reid got frustrated with calls as he began 1 for 5 and picked up a technical. Despite their rough start to the quarter, the Wolves never lost the lead. They led 50-44 at the half.

Randle was the best thing the Wolves had going on offense in the half with 15 points while McDaniels pitched in 13.

Edwards tweaks ankle in third

Late in the third quarter, Edwards fell to the ground without contact on an offensive possession and came up limping as he tried to walk off a turned left ankle. He went back to the locker room, and Rob Dillingham, himself returning from a sprained ankle, checked in. The Wolves led by as many as 15 in the third quarter and led 77-66 entering the fourth.

Dillingham finished with six points and one assist in eight minutes.

Edwards spent time away from the bench, but he came back in the fourth quarter. The Wolves kept the Lakers at arm’s length through the fourth. A key rebound and layup by McDaniels put them up 89-82 with under two minutes to play.

Player of the game

The Wolves don’t win Friday without McDaniels’ effort at both ends of the floor. After a slow start to the season, he has picked up his play in recent weeks.

Stat of the game

0 — Times the Wolves trailed.