Reality Check from Luka Doncic's First Loss

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic was expected to shine in their first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. That prediction was correct in Game 1, but not entirely. Doncic ended his first playoff appearance with the Lakers with a bitter defeat.

Doncic had scored 16 points in the first quarter and gave the Lakers a 38-20 lead. He finished the game with 37 points. However, it was not enough. The Lakers lost 95-117 and dropped the opening game at the Crypto.com Arena Stadium, on Sunday (4/20/2025) morning WIB.

Doncic's predictions are based on last season's conference finals, when he led the Dallas Mavericks to a 4-1 win over the Timberwolves. The guard's performance was unanswerable by the opposing defense throughout the series.

Doncic remains difficult to contain by Anthony Edwards and his teammates. This is evident as he performed efficiently with a shooting accuracy of 54.5 percent (12-22). However, there is one aspect of his game that is not reflected in the statistics, which is assists. He only contributed one assist during 36 minutes of play.

That’s an unusual number for a playmaker like Doncic. Only twice, including today, has Doncic failed to record at least two assists in playoff history. That drought came in Game 1 of last season’s Finals against the Boston Celtics.

This indicates that other Lakers players were unable to convert their shots effectively. The two main scorers for the Lakers, LeBron James (19 points) and Austin Reaves (16 points), were less efficient. The Timberwolves failed to slow down Doncic but managed to contain his teammates.

Doncic stated that they failed to match the physical duel with the Timberwolves, who have many athletic players. The Lakers' offense also struggled. "It's a physical issue. We were not good in that aspect. We played well in the first quarter, but let it all slip away after that," he said.

At the same time, the Timberwolves were on fire. They broke a club playoff record by making 21 three-pointers. Their two leading scorers were heavily guarded, Edwards and Julius Randle, but others were able to exploit the holes created.

Defensive specialist Jaden McDaniels was the leading scorer with 25 points. Backup center Naz Reid contributed 23 points off the bench, including six 3-pointers, while the Lakers' reserves combined for just 13 points. Edwards (22 points, 9 assists) was more effective as a facilitator.

The Timberwolves' win at the Lakers may have been unexpected, but it makes perfect sense. Chris Finch's team is on a hot streak after struggling to qualify for the playoffs over the past month.

The Timberwolves concluded the regular season with a trend of 17 wins and 4 losses since the beginning of March. During this period, only the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Boston Celtics recorded better records. Meanwhile, the Lakers have lost four times in their last ten games of the regular season.

The result feels increasingly reasonable when looking at the final standings of the regular season. The Lakers are indeed in third place, while the Timberwolves are sixth. However, the gap between them is only one win. That seeding status is nothing more than a number, as both teams are on the same level.

The "false" superiority of Doncic and his teammates was successfully exploited by the opposing team. "We know that not many people picked us (to win the series). I think our players leaned a bit on that (to be more alert and motivated)," said Finch, the coach.

The advantage of finishing higher in the regular season is that you get more home games in the playoffs. As a result, the Lakers lose their home-court advantage. That means the Timberwolves will advance if they win all three games on home soil.

So, will the Timberwolves win easily in the best-of-seven series? Certainly not. The series is likely to be fiercely contested. There are many signs that could indicate the potential improvement of the Lakers and the decline of the Timberwolves in the upcoming games.

James has identified one of the most important aspects that can be improved, which is limiting the opponent's three-point shots. "They have many players with three-point shooting ability. We need to work harder to close out on their shots. We have not been good enough in that regard," he stated.

Questions were directed at McDaniels and Reid, who are averaging below 15 points this season. The performance in game one will be difficult to replicate in every match. The Timberwolves' ability to produce three-pointers as they did earlier is also in doubt with the Lakers' better preparation.

On the other hand, James and Reaves have yet to unleash their full potential. The two players contributed an average of 44.2 points during the regular season. Their shooting accuracy is also above 45 percent. Unlike in game one, James (44.4 percent) and Reaves (38.5 percent) are currently "off."

"We know this will be a long series. We also do not assume that a match like the one earlier will be repeated in game two. It will be a completely different match, but we are ready. This team still has many other 'weapons.' We will also improve," Finch concluded.

Game one presented a new reality. The Timberwolves, led by young star Edwards, and superior in physical aspects are a real threat. However, never judge the Lakers by just one game, because they have the most experienced figure in the playoffs, "King James". (AP)