Lakers News: Luke Walton Frustrated By Failure To Execute Game Plan On Timberwolves’ Jimmy Butler

Matthew Moreno
2 Min Read
Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Although Brandon Ingram returned from a four-game suspension, the Los Angeles Lakers were unable to finish a short road trip with a victory. They were in a back-and-forth affair with the Minnesota Timberwolves in a game that saw both teams mount late runs.

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Ultimately, the Lakers were done in by a stagnant half-court offense and struggles with rebounding and playing defense without fouling. There were also breakdowns at various in the second half, which Jimmy Butler took full advantage of.

He scored a game-high 32 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter. Following the loss, Lakers head coach Luke Walton lamented the lack of execution that led to Butler’s big night, via Spectrum SportsNet:

“Some were contested. Normally, somebody hits that many threes it’s because they get in a rhythm. We went under on him twice; the bench was yelling, the coverage was get into him, force him down off the three-point line. We didn’t do it. We just have to get better. I mean, it’s the same story. We’ve got to get better at the little things. One of those things is paying attention to details, following game plans.”

Butler did the bulk of his damage behind the arc, where made all but one of his seven attempts. His final 3-pointer was contested by Rajon Rondo but still went in, giving the Timberwolves a decided five-point lead with just under 20 seconds remaining.

While Butler was a focal point, so too was rebounding, and the Lakers failed to finish out one too many possessions down the stretch. They also continued to be hampered by the whistle, sending the Timberwolves to the line for 30 attempts.

Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers games, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com
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