Telepeer

Lakers leap Timberwolves in standings with dominant 2nd half

March 11, 2026

As far as seeding goes, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night would’ve seen the Lakers jump their Western Conference rivals into fourth place.

It wasn’t pretty: The Lakers and Timberwolves combined for a woeful 7-for 44-shooting from beyond the arc in the first half as they played to a 45-all tie. It wasn’t easy: just before gametime, backup big man Maxi Kleber and Jaxson Hayes turned late scratches with back ailments, leaving the frontcourt thin with LeBron James already rules out for Tuesday’s game.

But the Lakers had enough – far more than enough to win their sixth of their last seven games on Tuesday and stake their claim over the fourth seed in the West. The Lakers (40-25) turned in their second consecutive victory against a well-positioned playoff team, taking down the Timberwolves 120-106. Separating themselves with a third-quarter run – using 14 points from star guard Luka Doncic in a triple-double performance (31 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds) and 16 points from Austin Reaves in a red-hot second-half effort – the Lakers burst by Minnesota in a dominating second-half effort.

Twenty-nine of Reaves’ 31 points came in the second half, while the 27-year-old guard added eight assists and seven rebounds. The Lakers, tied their season low for turnovers with just seven, picked up a tiebreaker for seeding in the West too, sealing a season sweep of the Timberwolves (40-25), who they currently share a record with.

“I think it was collective,” Doncic said of the team effort Tuesday. “Obviously, you know, (Marcus) Smart is our leader in that. He did a great job. I think (Deandre Ayton) today was amazing for us. But outside that, you know, I think we collectively did it. And obviously, they pushed us too, and I think we did an amazing job.”

Reaves, who shot a dire 1 for 8 from the field in the first half, helped to put the game out of reach in the third quarter. Reaves drew a foul from Minnesota guard Jaden McDaniels on a floater for an and-one basket to make it a 13-point lead. After Minnesota star Anthony Edwards made a pair of free throws, Reaves hit a 3-pointer at the other end and Ayo Dosunmu was in his shooting path for a four-point play that resulted in a 14-point lead.

Reaves thrust his arms in the air as he trotted across the Lakers midcourt logo as if offering a Gladiator-esque “Are you not entertained?”

“I’m having fun playing basketball and yeah, we had it moving offensively, making the right play and things get much easier when that happens,” Reaves said.

Reaves then extended the lead to 17 points with a layup thanks to nifty passing from Jake LaRavia, then Luke Kennard forced Minnesota to call a timeout with a fast-break run to the rim for an 82-63 lead with 1:54 left in the third. Reaves wasn’t done. The undrafted guard-turned-star drilled his second four-point play to bolster a then-22-point advantage in the fourth quarter.

“He was able to get downhill,” Redick said of Reaves. “I mean, that’s the biggest thing, that’s when he’s at his best. He’s a fantastic shooter, but he’s at his best when he’s touching the paint. Early on, him getting into the paint, getting fouled, seeing the ball go through the hoop, and then we saw him as the half wore on, he just got into his bag.”

Doncic sealed his triple-double effort in the fourth, assisting on a 3-pointer from Smart. It was his first 30-point triple-double since a Feb. 1 game against the New York Knicks. The Lakers improved to 13-8 without the top scorer in NBA history in their lineup, including 10-2 when Doncic and Reaves both play without James.

The Lakers’ torrid conclusion didn’t erase the ugly start. They were 0 for 8 from the field nearly five minutes into the game and 0 for 15 from 3-point range before Doncic drained one with 6:06 remaining in the second quarter to knot the score at 33-all. The Lakers missed 17 of their first 21 shots during their 16-point first quarter.

If not for Ayton’s first half – recording a double-double midway through the second quarter – the Lakers could have been stuck with little answer for the frontcourt combo of Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle. Ayton held Gobert to just three points and 12 rebounds.

Ayton, whose hustle shone for offensive boards and putback dunks and layups all throughout the first half on his way to 14 points and 12 rebounds, hadn’t scored since the second quarter during the final minutes of the fourth. Reaves made sure his center didn’t leave empty-handed for the second half, firing a pass to the 7-footer for an alley-oop dunk with 3:57 remaining to cap his night.

“I think it’s bigger for DA to have a game like that against a really good team, one of the best teams in basketball,” Redick said. “He’s won us and helped win us a ton of games this year. During this stretch there’s been some up and downs, but he was great tonight.”

Ayton said that with Kleber and Hayes unavailable, he felt a responsibility to bring more energy to his role or bring extra production, knowing the bench has fewer options to offer when he sits. Redick added that he felt the team’s defensive effort, holding the Timberwolves to 46.2% from the field and 25% from 3-point range, was key on Tuesday, especially when it came to zoning and containing Edwards who finished with 14 points on a 2-for-15 shooting night (1 for 10 from 3-point range).

“I’m encouraged by the defense, particularly, we’ve been trending in that direction now for 25 games to be above-average,” Redick said. “I mean, … we’re not going to be the number one defense in the league. But to be, you know, above average, and to do – have those two performances against those two teams back to back, is really encouraging.

Randle also scored 14 points for Minnesota, which has lost two straight after a five-game winning streak. Four Timberwolves bench players scored in double figures in the opener of a four-game trip.

Orange County Register

News Details

Lakers leap Timberwolves in standings with dominant 2nd half

News

CONTACT INFO

QUICK LINKS

SERVICES

CURRENT NEWS