Two-win advantages in the series will be on the line for the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Lakers as they meet at the Target Center on Saturday.
Both teams started the postseason season with a win in favor of Minnesota following the 117-96 victory before Los Angeles secured their second game with a 94-85 triumph.
Minnesota Timberwolves suffered a decisive loss at Crypto.com Arena that eliminated their chance to achieve a 2-0 advantage over the Lakers during the playoff series.
The Minnesota Timberwolves began their second match with a 19-point disadvantage at the end of the first quarter and only managed to fight back during the next 36 minutes but could not catch up to the Lakers.
In their match against previous employers the Timberwolves received outstanding performances from Julius Randle who scored 27 points and Anthony Edwards who scored 25 points bringing their combined output to represent over 60% of their team's total points.
The team achieved a suitable playoff results with their 1-1 division record from home matches against opposition squads. This puts them in position to shift the series direction by playing their next two games at home.
The Minnesota Timberwolves ended their four-game winning streak when they lost to the Lakers but intend to win their fifth consecutive match at home starting this weekend against opposing teams.
The Los Angeles Lakers responded well to their initial loss with an overpowering performance last time out, defeating the Timberwolves 94-85 to even the series at one victory each.
However, it was far from a simple feat for JJ Redick and his team, with the rookie head coach clearly furious at one point, calling a timeout and chastising his players for their lack of effort.
Luka Doncic picked up where he left off in Game One, bringing the Crypto.com Arena to its feet with a 31-point, 12-rebound, and nine-assist effort, falling just one assist short of his first postseason triple-double with his new team.
Doncic, who was awarded Western Conference finals MVP with the Dallas Mavericks last season, will want to wreak more playoff havoc on the Timberwolves as he attempts to drive the Lakers to a record-equaling 18th title.
With a 4-8 record in their previous 12 away games, Saturday's visitors will need to get their act together on the road to avoid having a mountain to climb when the series returns to Los Angeles.
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