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The Los Angeles Lakers were humbled in Game 1 of their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite getting a strong outing from Luka Doncic, the Lakers' defense couldn't hold down the Timberwolves as Minnesota exploded for 21 made three-pointers on 50 percent shooting from beyond the arc to take a 117-95 win on the road.
While Game 2 of the series isn't exactly must-win yet for the Lakers, they would want to avoid going down 2-0 before heading on the road. That typically is a death sentence in a seven-game series.
But even with the Timberwolves getting a leg up over the Lakers to begin the series, Doncic and LeBron James, of all people, would know that overreacting to a single playoff game is a fool's move.
The Timberwolves' odds to advance to the next round of the playoffs may have increased following their Game 1 win, but there are positive signs for the Lakers faithful to hold on to as they look for their team to even up the series on Tuesday night.
So here are three reasons as to why the Lakers will still take care of business against the Timberwolves despite their loss in Game 1.
Timberwolves should be hit hard by three-point shooting regression
In today's NBA, winning the mathematical battle is crucial to earn a victory. Getting more possessions or making more three-pointers is a surefire way to achieve success, and in Game 1, that's exactly what fueled the Timberwolves' victory over the Lakers.
Minnesota as a team was on fire from beyond the arc. As stated above, they went 21-for-42 from beyond the arc, which was always going to be difficult for the Lakers to match.
The way the Lakers played defense did not help matters whatsoever. They helped off of three-point shooters despite being one pass away on the strong side while loading up on the strong side to prevent drives opened up a ton of three-point looks for Minnesota.
The Timberwolves ranked fifth this past regular season in made threes per game with 15.0, and they were fairly efficient in their attempts, ranking fourth in three-point percentage (37.7) on the year. Thus, a three-point explosion is no fluke, and this is why the series will not be an easy one whatsoever for the Lakers.
But three-point production tends to even out throughout the course of the series. For the Timberwolves to shoot their average percentage from three on the year in this series, they will have to go 10-for-42 from three in Game 2. When a team shoots 23.8 percent from three, that team typically loses.
Just to hammer home how likely it is for the Timberwolves to shoot more poorly in the coming games, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid combined to shoot 25-for-36 from the field in Game 1, which is 69.4 percent. Those three shot a combined 47.4 percent this past regular season.
There is a possibility, in a sample of (at most) seven games, the Timberwolves simply shoot the lights out and knock the Lakers out of playoff contention. But the law of averages is a law for a reason, and the Lakers can at least trust that some regression will be coming in their favor.
Luka Doncic and LeBron James-led teams have lost plenty of Game 1s
Losing Game 1 is rarely the end of the world for a team led by Luka Doncic. Just last year, Doncic's Dallas Mavericks lost Game 1 of their respective series against the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder, only for them to win the series in six games.
Meanwhile, during the Lakers' last championship run in 2020, they lost their fair share of Game 1s as well. They lost Game 1 of the first and second round against the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets, only for LeBron James and company to sweep those teams in gentleman fashion.
Perhaps Doncic and James are simply lulling the opposition into a false sense of security. Whatever the case may be, Doncic and James have a tendency to recognize the moment, and when there is a need for them to win a ballgame, that is when they give their best.
James being held to a quiet 19 points in Game 1 isn't something that should be seen as sustainable for the Timberwolves anyway.
Lakers' role players have room for growth
The Lakers' trio of Doncic, James, and Austin Reaves combined for 72 of the team's 95 points in Game 1. Without much production from the team's role players, the Lakers might be toast.
The role players (anyone outside of the aforementioned trio) the Lakers gave non-garbage-time minutes to combined to shoot 6-for-22 from the field. That will not cut it. But those players have shown that they can make timely shots in the past, and there is plenty of room for them to get better after a disastrous showing in Game 1.
