Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers will clash at the Target Center on Saturday, each aiming to secure a 2-1 lead in their playoff series.

The Timberwolves dominated Game One at home, defeating the Lakers 117-96 on Sunday. However, the Lakers bounced back in Game Two, winning 94-85 on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena.

Minnesota started their playoff journey strongly, hoping to take a commanding 2-0 lead. Despite their efforts, a sluggish first quarter in Game Two left them trailing by 19 points, and they couldn’t close the gap despite a spirited comeback attempt.

Julius Randle, facing his former team, delivered a standout 27-point performance for the Timberwolves in Game Two, with Anthony Edwards adding 25 points. Together, they accounted for over 60% of Minnesota’s scoring.

With a 1-1 record from their road games, the Timberwolves, last year’s conference finalists, now have a chance to shift momentum in their favor with two consecutive home games.

The Timberwolves' four-game winning streak was ended Wednesday by their loss to the Lakers. They will go into this weekend hoping to win five straight games in front of their supporters after dropping back-to-back games to the Indiana Pacers and the New Orleans Pelicans.

Last night's decisive performance by the Los Angeles Lakers, who defeated the Timberwolves 94-85 to even the series at one victory apiece, was the ideal reaction to their first loss.

But for JJ Redick and his team, it was anything but simple. At one point, the rookie head coach was clearly furious, calling a time-out and berating his players for not trying hard enough.