The Los Angeles Lakers hit the road for another back to back set to close out 2023, starting with a rematch against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The game came down to the final minutes but the Lakers ultimately lost to the Timberwolves, 109-106.
Celebrating his 39th birthday, LeBron James gave Los Angeles an early 6-4 lead after hitting a probing jumper in the lane. Anthony Davis carried the offense early with his aggression in the painted area, and a quick move on Rudy Gobert gave the Lakers 17-6 lead midway through the first.
Minnesota stormed back with an 11-2 run and were aided by a couple of blatant missed calls that should have gone to Los Angeles. Davis went to town near the rim though and it allowed the Lakers to go up 31-29 at the end of the first quarter.
James took control of the offense at the top of the second, facilitating for his teammates and coming up with a steal and slam. However, with Davis off the floor the Timberwolves were able to go on a 9-0 run that forced a timeout from Darvin Ham.
Anthony Edwards briefly gave Minnesota the lead after a pair of layups, and returned to the game after tweaking his ankle. Despite some dominant play from Davis, L.A. went into the half trailing 61-57.
Davis looked like he hurt his hip, but still recorded a double-double in the first half alone with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Unlike the first quarter, the Lakers got off to a slower start to the third as their offense couldn’t generate many good looks in the half court. Davis’ scoring slowed down, but instead remained involved offensively as a playmaker.
Los Angeles’ offense stalled out as they missed nine consecutive shots, letting Minnesota extend their lead. Edwards and Reid were able to get to the cup on several occasions and the Lakers went into the fourth trailing 82-77.
D’Angelo Russell went back to the locker room after falling hard when he took an offensive foul.
L.A.’s defensive activity was much higher to begin the fourth and a pair of free throws from Austin Reaves gave them a slight 84-83 lead. Davis got the crowd up on their feet with a monstrous block on Jaden McDaniels, though James couldn’t capitalize when he missed his own dunk attempt on the other end.
Edwards began to take over, hitting tough jumpers to keep the Lakers from cutting into the deficit. Davis managed to knock down a tough 3-pointer under duress, but Mike Conley answered with one of his own that ended up snuffing out the purple and gold’s chances at a victory.
L.A. made it interesting late with James completing a three-point play and then making a long bucket. His foot was on the line though, so the Lakers came up just short by literally one inch. The replay showed he might have even been behind the line, but the referees did not overturn it after a review.
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