Game ID: 22300932
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Los Angeles Lakers
Sunday, March 10, 2024 at 9:30 PM ET
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
LAL 32 37 22 29 120MIN 28 40 24 17 109
LAL vs MIN ScoutingLAL vs MIN Scouting
Welcome to the scouting desk. The coffee is cold, the film is play-by-play, and somebody has to explain what happened.
Every game has a hinge — a stretch where it was decided, usually while everyone was watching something else. Start where the evidence lives: the Lineups' face-offs say which five actually won their minutes; the Possessions ledger says who ran ahead of the night's own pace; the Shot Chart says where the points really came from, which is rarely where the highlights were. When all three agree, that is the story. When they don't — that is why this desk has a chair.
LAL availability going into 3/02 · 1 day's restOUT Vanderbilt missed 11 since 2/03, out tonight
OUT Vincent missed 33 since 12/21, out tonight
OUT Wood missed 5 since 2/22, out tonight
BACK James back 2/23 after 2, 37 min since (103% of 36)
BACK Reddish back 2/28 after 14, 12 min since (58% of 20)
BACK Christie back 2/22 after 3, 11 min since (79% of 14)
LAL availability going into 3/04 · 1 day's restOUT Vanderbilt missed 12 since 2/03, out tonight
OUT Vincent missed 34 since 12/21, out tonight
OUT Wood missed 6 since 2/22, out tonight
BACK James back 2/23 after 2, 37 min since (103% of 36)
BACK Reddish back 2/28 after 14, 14 min since (69% of 20)
LAL availability going into 3/06 · 1 day's restOUT Vanderbilt missed 13 since 2/03, out tonight
OUT Vincent missed 35 since 12/21, out tonight
OUT Wood missed 7 since 2/22, out tonight
BACK Reddish back 2/28 after 14, 14 min since (68% of 20)
LAL availability going into 3/08 · 1 day's restOUT Vanderbilt missed 14 since 2/03, out tonight
OUT Vincent missed 36 since 12/21, out tonight
OUT Wood missed 8 since 2/22, out tonight
BACK Reddish back 2/28 after 14, 14 min since (68% of 20)
LAL availability going into 3/10 · 1 day's restOUT Vanderbilt missed 15 since 2/03, out tonight
OUT Vincent missed 37 since 12/21, out tonight
OUT Wood missed 9 since 2/22, out tonight
NEW Hachimura 27 to 33 min over the last 5
LAL availability going into 3/13 · 2 days' restOUT Vanderbilt missed 16 since 2/03, out tonight
OUT Vincent missed 38 since 12/21, out tonight
OUT Wood missed 10 since 2/22, out tonight
LAL availability going into 3/16 · 2 days' restOUT Reddish missed 2 since 3/10, out tonight
OUT Vanderbilt missed 17 since 2/03, out tonight
OUT Vincent missed 39 since 12/21, out tonight
OUT Wood missed 11 since 2/22, out tonight
LAL availability going into 3/18 · 1 day's restOUT Reddish missed 3 since 3/10, out tonight
OUT Vanderbilt missed 18 since 2/03, out tonight
OUT Vincent missed 40 since 12/21, out tonight
OUT Wood missed 12 since 2/22, out tonight
LAL availability going into 3/22 · 3 days' restOUT Reddish missed 4 since 3/10, returns tonight: 19 min (95% of 20)
OUT Vanderbilt missed 19 since 2/03, out tonight
OUT Vincent missed 41 since 12/21, out tonight
OUT Wood missed 13 since 2/22, out tonight
MIN availability going into 3/03 · 1 day's restOUT Anderson missed 2 since 2/28, returns tonight: 14 min (68% of 21)
NEW Morris 13 to 18 min over the last 5
MIN availability going into 3/04 · back-to-backBACK Anderson back 3/03 after 2, 14 min since (68% of 21)
NEW Morris 13 to 18 min over the last 5
MIN availability going into 3/07 · 2 days' restOUT McLaughlin missed 2 since 3/03, out tonight
BACK Anderson back 3/03 after 2, 22 min since (101% of 21)
NEW Morris 13 to 19 min over the last 5
MIN availability going into 3/08 · back-to-backOUT McLaughlin missed 3 since 3/03, returns tonight: 11 min (100% of 11)
BACK Anderson back 3/03 after 2, 24 min since (111% of 21)
MIN availability going into 3/10 · 1 day's restOUT Towns missed 2 since 3/07, out tonight
BACK Anderson back 3/03 after 2, 27 min since (124% of 21)
BACK McLaughlin back 3/08 after 3, 11 min since (100% of 11)
NEW Gobert 34 to 40 min over the last 5
MIN availability going into 3/12 · 1 day's restOUT Towns missed 3 since 3/07, out tonight
OUT Morris missed 2 since 3/08, out tonight
BACK Anderson back 3/03 after 2, 27 min since (124% of 21)
BACK McLaughlin back 3/08 after 3, 16 min since (150% of 11)
MIN availability going into 3/16 · 3 days' restOUT Towns missed 4 since 3/07, out tonight
OUT Morris missed 3 since 3/08, returns tonight: 10 min (78% of 13)
BACK McLaughlin back 3/08 after 3, 16 min since (154% of 11)
NEW Reid 24 to 29 min over the last 5
NEW Anderson 21 to 30 min over the last 4
MIN availability going into 3/18 · 1 day's restOUT Towns missed 5 since 3/07, out tonight
BACK Morris back 3/16 after 3, 10 min since (78% of 13)
BACK McLaughlin back 3/08 after 3, 16 min since (153% of 11)
NEW Reid 24 to 32 min over the last 5
NEW Alexander-Walker 24 to 29 min over the last 5
NEW Anderson 21 to 31 min over the last 4
MIN availability going into 3/19 · back-to-backOUT Gobert missed 2 since 3/16, out tonight
OUT Towns missed 6 since 3/07, out tonight
BACK Morris back 3/16 after 3, 13 min since (98% of 13)
BACK McLaughlin back 3/08 after 3, 17 min since (164% of 11)
NEW Reid 24 to 30 min over the last 5
NEW Alexander-Walker 24 to 30 min over the last 5
NEW Anderson 21 to 32 min over the last 4
I Know — the desk, before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
The Lakers come in 3-2 over their last five, scoring 121 a night and allowing 122, shooting 52 percent and 44 from three, 21 free throws a game; James at 27 and Russell at 24 a game. Without Vanderbilt (15 straight), Vincent (37 straight), Wood (9 straight). One day's rest. Minnesota comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 109 a night and allowing 110, shooting 45 percent and 32 from three, 26 free throws a game; Edwards at 23 and Towns at 17 a game. It has won the glass by 4 a night. Without Towns (2 straight). One day's rest.
So: The Lakers win, and the game turns on the arc, the Lakers at 44 percent from three to Minnesota's 32 and the defense, Minnesota allowing 110 a night to the Lakers' 122. Call it the Lakers 115, Minnesota 114, Minnesota keeping it close.
3/02 vs DEN 114-124 — LAL notes
LAL lost 114-124. LAL shot 53% (47 of 89) to DEN's 59%, 12 of 29 from three. The glass went 31-47 against them. James led with 26 (12 of 20, 2 of 5 from three); Hachimura added 23, Reaves 19. Q1 was theirs, 33-27, but the other 3 periods went 97-81 against them. They led by as many as 11. Hachimura's -13 in 37 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/04 vs OKC 116-104 — LAL notes
LAL won 116-104. LAL shot 51% (41 of 80) to OKC's 39%, 16 of 34 from three, and went to the line 25 times to OKC's 16 — 18 points from the stripe to their 15. LAL turned it over 20 times to OKC's 10, and OKC turned those into 12 steals. The glass went 55-38 for them. Russell led with 26 (9 of 17, 5 of 11 from three); Davis added 24, James 19. The hinge was Q2, 27-18: from level to 9 ahead, and the lead reached 25. Dinwiddie was the night's best plus/minus at +35.
3/06 vs SAC 120-130 — LAL notes
LAL lost 120-130. LAL shot 52% (42 of 81) to SAC's 56%, 15 of 32 from three, and went to the line 25 times to SAC's 12 — 21 points from the stripe to their 10. The glass went 34-46 against them. James led with 31 (10 of 16, 1 of 4 from three, 10 of 10 at the line); Hachimura added 29, Reaves 18. Q1 was theirs, 37-28, but the other 3 periods went 102-83 against them. They led by as many as 19. Prince's -17 in 15 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/08 vs MIL 123-122 — LAL notes
LAL won 123-122. LAL shot 52% (47 of 90) to MIL's 49%, 16 of 34 from three. Russell led with 44 (17 of 25, 9 of 12 from three); Davis added 22, Reaves 18. The hinge was Q2, 40-33: LAL came in trailing by 3 and left it ahead by 4.
3/10 vs MIN 120-109 — LAL notes
LAL won 120-109. LAL shot 53% (44 of 83) to MIN's 42%, 10 of 24 from three, and went to the line 29 times to MIN's 13 — 22 points from the stripe to their 11. LAL turned it over 19 times to MIN's 11, and MIN turned those into 8 steals. The glass went 56-38 for them. James led with 29 (10 of 16, 2 of 4 from three, 7 of 9 at the line); Davis added 27, Reaves 19. The hinge was Q4, 29-17: LAL came in trailing by 1 and left it ahead by 11, and the lead reached 16. Russell was the night's best plus/minus at +21.
3/13 @ SAC — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Sacramento comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 121 a night and allowing 114, shooting 50 percent and 33 from three, 17 free throws a game; Fox at 29 and Sabonis at 22 a game. It has won the glass by 10 a night. Second night of a back-to-back. The Lakers come in 3-2 over their last five, scoring 119 a night and allowing 118, shooting 52 percent and 45 from three, 22 free throws a game; James at 26 and Russell at 22 a game. Without Vanderbilt (16 straight), Vincent (38 straight), Wood (10 straight). 2 days' rest.
So: Sacramento wins, and the game turns on the arc, the Lakers at 45 percent from three to Sacramento's 33 and the glass, where Sacramento has been plus-10 a night and the Lakers plus-0. Call it Sacramento 119, the Lakers 116, the Lakers keeping it close.
3/16 vs GSW — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
The Lakers come in 3-2 over their last five, scoring 117 a night and allowing 117, shooting 51 percent and 46 from three, 24 free throws a game; James at 24 and Davis at 22 a game. Without Reddish (2 straight), Vanderbilt (17 straight), Vincent (39 straight). 2 days' rest. Golden State comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 114 a night and allowing 110, shooting 48 percent and 37 from three, 19 free throws a game; Kuminga at 23 and Thompson at 18 a game. Without Curry (3 straight). 2 days' rest.
So: The Lakers win, and the game turns on the arc, the Lakers at 46 percent from three to Golden State's 37 and the defense, Golden State allowing 110 a night to the Lakers' 117. Call it the Lakers 117, Golden State 115, Golden State keeping it close.
3/18 vs ATL — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
The Lakers come in 2-3 over their last five, scoring 118 a night and allowing 122, shooting 51 percent and 43 from three, 23 free throws a game; James at 30 and Russell at 19 a game. Without Reddish (3 straight), Vanderbilt (18 straight), Vincent (40 straight). One day's rest. Atlanta comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 107 a night and allowing 106, shooting 44 percent and 43 from three, 17 free throws a game; Murray at 32 and Hunter at 16 a game. Without Young (11 straight), Okongwu (13 straight). Second night of a back-to-back.
So: The Lakers win, and the game turns on the defense, Atlanta allowing 106 a night to the Lakers' 122 and the line, where the Lakers take 23 free throws a game to Atlanta's 17. Call it the Lakers 118, Atlanta 114, Atlanta keeping it close.
3/22 vs PHI — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
The Lakers come in 3-2 over their last five, scoring 121 a night and allowing 117, shooting 53 percent and 42 from three, 22 free throws a game; James at 28 and Russell at 23 a game. Without Reddish (4 straight), Vanderbilt (19 straight), Vincent (41 straight). 3 days' rest. Philadelphia comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 99 a night and allowing 105, shooting 44 percent and 35 from three, 17 free throws a game; Maxey at 23 and Oubre Jr. at 18 a game. It has lost the glass by 9 a night. Without Embiid (23 straight), Harris (3 straight), Melton (11 straight). One day's rest.
So: The Lakers win, and the game turns on the glass, where the Lakers have been plus-1 a night and Philadelphia minus-9 and the defense, Philadelphia allowing 105 a night to the Lakers' 117. Call it the Lakers 115, Philadelphia 111, Philadelphia keeping it close.
3/03 vs LAC 88-89 — MIN notes
MIN lost 88-89. MIN shot 39% (31 of 80) to LAC's 38%, 9 of 33 from three. MIN turned it over 15 times to LAC's 9. The glass went 54-40 for them. Edwards led with 27 (9 of 20, 3 of 10 from three, 6 of 6 at the line); Towns added 18, Gobert 12. Q1 was theirs, 30-18, but the other 3 periods went 71-58 against them. They led by as many as 16. Reid's -18 in 21 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/04 vs POR 119-114 — MIN notes
MIN won 119-114. MIN shot 51% (40 of 79) to POR's 49%, 11 of 28 from three, and went to the line 37 times to POR's 11 — 28 points from the stripe to their 8. Gobert led with 25 (9 of 10, 7 of 7 at the line); Conley added 19, Towns 14. The hinge was Q2, 27-22: a lead of 2 became 7, and the lead reached 15. Reid was the night's best plus/minus at +16.
3/07 @ IND 113-111 — MIN notes
MIN won 113-111. MIN shot 47% (46 of 98) to IND's 51%, 7 of 25 from three. MIN turned it over 9 times to IND's 15. Edwards led with 44 (18 of 35, 3 of 7 from three, 5 of 8 at the line); Gobert added 18, Reid 13. The hinge was Q1, 33-23: from level to 10 ahead, and the lead reached 17.
3/08 @ CLE 104-113 — MIN notes
MIN lost 104-113 in 1 overtime. MIN shot 41% (39 of 94) to CLE's 43%, 8 of 30 from three, and got to the line 22 times to CLE's 36. Reid led with 34 (10 of 18, 7 of 11 from three, 7 of 8 at the line); Edwards added 19, McDaniels 13. Q3 was theirs, 30-25, turning a 4-point deficit into a 1-point lead, but the other 4 periods went 88-74 against them.
3/10 @ LAL 109-120 — MIN notes
MIN lost 109-120. MIN took 14 more shots (97 to 83), fed by 11 offensive rebounds, but shot 42% to LAL's 53%, 16 of 46 from three, and got to the line 13 times to LAL's 29. MIN turned it over 11 times to LAL's 19. The glass went 38-56 against them. Reid led with 25 (9 of 17, 5 of 10 from three); Edwards added 25, Alexander-Walker 15. Q2 was theirs, 40-37, the deficit cut from 4 to 1, but the other 3 periods went 83-69 against them. Conley's -24 in 29 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/12 @ LAC — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
The Clippers come in 3-2 over their last five, scoring 109 a night and allowing 109, shooting 46 percent and 35 from three, 19 free throws a game; Leonard at 24 and George at 22 a game. Without Westbrook (5 straight). One day's rest. Minnesota comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 107 a night and allowing 109, shooting 44 percent and 31 from three, 22 free throws a game; Edwards at 26 and Reid at 17 a game. Without Towns (3 straight). One day's rest.
So: The Clippers win, in a game with no one edge to lean on. Call it the Clippers 112, Minnesota 109, Minnesota keeping it close.
3/16 @ UTA — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Utah comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 119 a night and allowing 124, shooting 49 percent and 38 from three, 17 free throws a game; Clarkson at 24 and Sexton at 22 a game. Without Markkanen (5 straight), Lofton Jr. (2 straight). Second night of a back-to-back. Minnesota comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 113 a night and allowing 112, shooting 46 percent and 33 from three, 21 free throws a game; Edwards at 28 and Reid at 18 a game. Without Towns (4 straight). 3 days' rest.
So: Minnesota wins, on the road, and the game turns on the defense, Minnesota allowing 112 a night to Utah's 124 and the arc, Utah at 38 percent from three to Minnesota's 33. Call it Minnesota 117, Utah 114, Utah keeping it close.
3/18 @ UTA — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Utah comes in 1-4 over its last five, scoring 114 a night and allowing 125, shooting 48 percent and 35 from three, 19 free throws a game; George at 24 and Sexton at 21 a game. Without Markkanen (6 straight), Clarkson (2 straight), Lofton Jr. (3 straight). One day's rest. Minnesota comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 113 a night and allowing 109, shooting 46 percent and 35 from three, 17 free throws a game; Edwards at 31 and Reid at 20 a game. Without Towns (5 straight). One day's rest.
So: Minnesota wins, on the road, and the game turns on the defense, Minnesota allowing 109 a night to Utah's 125 and the glass, where Utah has been plus-3 a night and Minnesota minus-1. Call it Minnesota 117, Utah 113, Utah keeping it close.
3/19 vs DEN — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Minnesota comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 113 a night and allowing 107, shooting 46 percent and 37 from three, 15 free throws a game; Edwards at 29 and Reid at 21 a game. That is 3 straight wins. It has lost the glass by 5 a night. Without Gobert (2 straight), Towns (6 straight). Second night of a back-to-back. Denver comes in 4-1 over its last five, scoring 118 a night and allowing 108, shooting 54 percent and 42 from three, 16 free throws a game; Jokić at 24 and Murray at 23 a game. It has lost the glass by 6 a night. One day's rest.
So: Minnesota wins, and the game turns on the arc, Denver at 42 percent from three to Minnesota's 37. Call it Minnesota 112, Denver 111, Denver keeping it close.
Who is who
the initials in the Players column
LALAD A. Davis
AR A. Reaves
DR D. Russell
HG H. Giles III
JH J. Hayes
LJ L. James
MC M. Christie
RH R. Hachimura
SD S. Dinwiddie
SM S. Mays
TP T. Prince
MINAE A. Edwards
DN D. Nix
JM J. McDaniels
JM J. McLaughlin
JM J. Minott
LG L. Garza
MC M. Conley
NA N. Alexander-Walker
NR N. Reid
TW T. Warren
LAL/MIN the team itself, not a player
-- the feed named nobody
What
What happened
the codes in the Events column
M2 / M3 made 2 / made 3
X2 / X3 missed 2 / missed 3
FT / X1 free throw made / missed
AST assist
OR / DR offensive / defensive rebound
STL steal
BLK block
TO turnover
FL foul
OF offensive foul — ends the possession
VIOL violation
JUMP jump ball
TM timeout
IR instant replay
HE heave at the buzzer, filed to the team
END the clock ran out, ball in hand
Where
Where a shot came from
the middle field of M3.LW.25
RM at the rim inside 4 ft
RC right corner
RW right wing
SO straight on
LW left wing
LC left corner
M3.LW.25 made 3, left wing, 25 ft
X2.RM.01 missed 2, at the rim, 1 ft
When
When it happened
the Offset column
one number per event, in the Events order:
whole seconds from the start of the
possession to that event
Events FL X3.RC.23 OR M2.RM.01
Offset 0 18 22 24
the foul opens the possession at 0s;
the putback ends it at 24s, which is
the possession's own Dur
Anthony Davis bullies Timberwolves with 27 points, 25 rebounds in Lakers' 120-109 victory
LOS ANGELES -- — Anthony Davis had 27 points, a season-high 25 rebounds and a career-high seven steals while leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 120-109 victory over the short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night.
Davis added five assists and three blocked shots in one of the most prolific games of his decorated career. The nine-time All-Star feasted on a Minnesota lineup missing its top two big men and four regulars due to injuries, grabbing 21 rebounds in the second half alone and leading a 21-4 rally to begin the fourth quarter while the Lakers pulled away to their 12th win in 17 games.
“When we're out there having fun, everybody's confidence is high,” Davis said. “When we're talking trash to the other team, we're holding each other accountable, and we're just playing the right way. We know what it takes. It's just about having the consistency of playing that way each and every night.”
Davis is only the eighth player since the 1982-83 season with at least 25 points, 25 rebounds and five assists in a game, according to Sportradar. Nikola Jokic did it last season, joining a short list that includes Charles Barkley and Kevin Garnett.
“Ten offensive rebounds is crazy,” said Austin Reaves , who scored 19 points for Los Angeles. “I did feel any time we shot and missed, he was there to give us a second-chance opportunity with offensive rebounds, get himself to the line. The steals, I don’t know. The steals are crazy. Seven steals is very, very impressive.”
LeBron James had 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds as the Lakers knocked off another top team following wins over Oklahoma City and Milwaukee on their six-game homestand. Los Angeles (36-30) is six games above .500 for the first time since the final day of the 2021-22 regular season.
Naz Reid scored 25 points and hit five 3-pointers in his first start of the season for Minnesota, which hit 16 of its season-high 46 3-point attempts. Reid delivered his second straight outstanding performance after scoring a career-high 34 against Cleveland last Friday, but the Wolves' depleted interior defense couldn't stop Davis without Rudy Gobert or Karl-Anthony Towns .
“This team is No. 2 in the West, and still a good team,” Davis said. “Obviously, they’re missing key parts of their team, but they still have guys who can make plays, and they still find a way to win ballgames. We just wanted to come out as a team effort and knowing that wherever we are in the standings and how important this game was, trying to close the gap in the standings.”
Anthony Edwards also scored 25 points for the Wolves, who have lost four of six. Minnesota missed nine consecutive shots to start the fourth quarter while Los Angeles pulled away.
“Ball movement dried up a little bit, but really it was the offensive rebounds at the other end of the floor that hurt us more in the fourth,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. “I felt confident we were able to come back, but so many second shots, and it's difficult at that point. ... (Davis) should have dominated us. He had size. He had length. He had all that stuff. He was in the paint for seven, eight seconds every time they shot the ball. It's easy to go get it. But we've got to do a better job rooting him out.”
James returned after sitting out due to injury for the ninth time this season when the Lakers stunned Milwaukee 123-122 on Friday night behind D'Angelo Russell 's 44-point performance. Davis injured his left shoulder during that game in a collision with Giannis Antetokounmpo , but it didn't visibly slow him.
Edwards played through an ankle injury, but Gobert sat out with right hamstring tightness. Gobert, who missed his third game of the season, was fined $100,000 by the NBA earlier Sunday for a series of transgressions questioning the integrity of the NBA's officiating Friday.
Towns missed his third straight game for Minnesota since being diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his left knee. The big man is likely to be sidelined until the postseason following surgery.
Kyle Anderson also sat out with right shoulder pain, and Monte Morris missed his second straight game with a strained left hamstring.
Lakers swingman Cam Reddish was ruled out with a sprained right ankle. It was the second additional game he has missed since he returned from a monthlong injury absence in late February.
UP NEXT
Timberwolves: At Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.