2025 NBA PLAYOFFS West First Round: #3 LA Lakers vs #6 Minnesota Timberwolves (MIN leads 3-1)

[bledredwine]

Lebron tonight:

0 points in the 4th quarter

0-3 in the clutch

2 turnovers in the last 3 minutes of the game.

[Statlanta]

JJ was incompetent for making his guys play the whole second half knowing they have conditioning issues. I understand it's a do or die game but that's what you have staggered rotations for.

[Mamba Mentality]

People were picking the Lakers to challenge OKC...To blame Pelinka is lazy. JJ is the coach and needs to be better at his rotations point blank. Does that mean they will win the series? No, but throwing guys out there all game against a much younger team is absolutely the wrong play.

People keep point to rotations but who do the Lakers trust in a must win game? Hayes played like he belonged in China the whole series which finally forced JJ to play small with DFS starting in the second half. Goodwin and Vando can’t shoot and make the Lakers offense predictable. Vincent was a team high -7 today. Sure he could have played some more but over who? We were already sacrificing so much size.

I don’t blame JJ for going all in with the only five guys worth a damn. Every Laker fan knew following the Luka trade that this roster was still flawed. But we gave our two superstars the benefit of the doubt and bet on their individual talent to overcome some of the deficiencies. Wolves were just a bad first round draw.

[Handlez]

Lakers up 10 to start 4th.

JJ should've given Luka and Bron 2-3 rest minutes.

But hindsight is 20/20.

Also Hayes maybe should've played a little more.

Lakers just don't have any depth or bigs.

[Jta444]

Well, 4 chips is nothing to sneeze at. That's more championships than the whole Mavs organization.

Besides, threepeating twice in the expansion era isn't as great as you make it out to be.

Cope hard today my boy, i aint even much of a Mavs fan. Nice try though. Your GOAT gonna need 7 games in the 1st round haha. He aint used to this. Welcome to the Westside. This aint no cakewalk East. No 1st round sweep and gimmes.

On that note, should we now review and asterisk all of Lebron’s titles in the East? If he played in the West as we see in his past 5 years, it would have taken more out of him leaving him with less energy for later rounds/Finals, if he would have even gotten there.

So we might now know the secret to Lebron’s great performances in the Finals before. It’s because he could coast in the East playoffs. That’s why he was always so fresh come Finals time.

I thought before it was PED’s. But I think it was the easy competition. He couldn’t do much out West and looks so tired out there.

LeBron's record against the West while playing in the East: 143-72 (.665%)
LeBron's record against the West while playing in the West: 158-101 (.610%)

In other words, he’d been beating Western teams at a top-seed clip long before he ever joined the Lakers, and he even won a title out West in 2020. Expecting him to replicate prime dominance two decades and 59,000+ minutes into his career misunderstands both aging and the record he already built against each conference.

He had AD in 2020. That champ was gift wrapped the moment he recruited AD same thing when Curry got Durant.

Since then
2021 - 1st round exit
2022 - missed playoffs
2023 - swept in WCF
2024 - 1st round exit
2025 - down 1-3 1st round

I’m not saying he wouldn’t beat majority of those West teams. But for sure he would have had a harder time out West in his prime. He would have went through more wars like this series and have more wear and tear and have less energy if he gets to the Finals. Most of the West champions he faced
in his prime had to go through tougher opponents and thus were more gassed. At least that you can admit even if you’re a fanboy

[Handlez]

Be honest, guys...

Can the Lakers comeback down 3-1?

I think there's a slight chance.

Am I crazy?

[bledredwine]

[tweet]

Read on Twitter

?s=46&t=nTTEj4pYTl_o_im2gtZyQg

[/tweet]

Well now, this won't help the MJ's son rumor at all.

Seriously though, this is why I love this guy. Sheer competitiveness. He wants to win and doesn't give a **** about the rest.

[mkot]

The Timberwolves were the worse clutch team in the playoffs, they were clutch in both game 3 & 4. The Lakers swiss cheese defense helped, but they are making the big plays that count.

[ball_takes23]

Well, 4 chips is nothing to sneeze at. That's more championships than the whole Mavs organization.

Besides, threepeating twice in the expansion era isn't as great as you make it out to be.

Cope hard today my boy, i aint even much of a Mavs fan. Nice try though. Your GOAT gonna need 7 games in the 1st round haha. He aint used to this. Welcome to the Westside. This aint no cakewalk East. No 1st round sweep and gimmes.

On that note, should we now review and asterisk all of Lebron’s titles in the East? If he played in the West as we see in his past 5 years, it would have taken more out of him leaving him with less energy for later rounds/Finals, if he would have even gotten there.

So we might now know the secret to Lebron’s great performances in the Finals before. It’s because he could coast in the East playoffs. That’s why he was always so fresh come Finals time.

I thought before it was PED’s. But I think it was the easy competition. He couldn’t do much out West and looks so tired out there.

LeBron's record against the West while playing in the East: 143-72 (.665%)
LeBron's record against the West while playing in the West: 158-101 (.610%)

In other words, he’d been beating Western teams at a top-seed clip long before he ever joined the Lakers, and he even won a title out West in 2020. Expecting him to replicate prime dominance two decades and 59,000+ minutes into his career misunderstands both aging and the record he already built against each conference.

ok now do his record against West playoff teams. then calculate his chances of making even two consecutive finals at those odds.

[durden_tyler]

Be honest, guys...

Can the Lakers comeback down 3-1?

I think there's a slight chance.

Am I crazy?

Let’s put it at 20% chance out of respect for Luka.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Handlez]

Cope hard today my boy, i aint even much of a Mavs fan. Nice try though. Your GOAT gonna need 7 games in the 1st round haha. He aint used to this. Welcome to the Westside. This aint no cakewalk East. No 1st round sweep and gimmes.

On that note, should we now review and asterisk all of Lebron’s titles in the East? If he played in the West as we see in his past 5 years, it would have taken more out of him leaving him with less energy for later rounds/Finals, if he would have even gotten there.

So we might now know the secret to Lebron’s great performances in the Finals before. It’s because he could coast in the East playoffs. That’s why he was always so fresh come Finals time.

I thought before it was PED’s. But I think it was the easy competition. He couldn’t do much out West and looks so tired out there.

LeBron's record against the West while playing in the East: 143-72 (.665%)
LeBron's record against the West while playing in the West: 158-101 (.610%)

In other words, he’d been beating Western teams at a top-seed clip long before he ever joined the Lakers, and he even won a title out West in 2020. Expecting him to replicate prime dominance two decades and 59,000+ minutes into his career misunderstands both aging and the record he already built against each conference.

He had AD in 2020. That champ was gift wrapped the moment he recruited AD same thing when Curry got Durant.

Since then
2021 - 1st round exit
2022 - missed playoffs
2023 - swept in WCF
2024 - 1st round exit
2025 - down 1-3 1st round

I’m not saying he wouldn’t beat majority of those West teams. But for sure he would have had a harder time out West in his prime. He would have went through more wars like this series and have more wear and tear and have less energy if he gets to the Finals. Most of the West champions he faced
in his prime had to go through tougher opponents and thus were more gassed. At least that you can admit even if you’re a fanboy

Wait...is someone arguing the east wasn't complete **** during most of Bron's time there? It was an automatic finals most years, especially when he teamed up with his biggest competition.

Bron had a cake walk to the finals many years in the east. That allowed him to accumulate crazy stats and "clutch" performances, knowing there wasn't any real pressure.

[thinktank]

Where my guy Bob8 at?

Luka got absolutely cooked on D again.

If defense wasn’t a part of the game it would be called Offenseball.

[Myth]

Question as I unfortunately missed most of this game: LeBron had 18 free throws but only 9fgas. What was the context of this discrepancy? Did it feel deserved or gifted?

The context is you should actually watch the games and don’t rely on the dumb # of free throws takes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Family obligations. And I’m not relying on the # to make conclusions, I made an observation of the numbers and asked a question.

[JustBuzzin]

Be honest, guys...

Can the Lakers comeback down 3-1?

I think there's a slight chance.

Am I crazy?

Nope.

Ant is the best player in the series and Minnesota just has much more depth.

Lakers screwed not doing the Mark Williams trade. They have no legit big. Also Luka and Reaves do not fit. They both play no defense.


KFC, UFC, ABC Wolves in 5!

[Handlez]

Lebron tonight:

0 points in the 4th quarter

0-3 in the clutch

2 turnovers in the last 3 minutes of the game.

That's two in a row he disappeared in the 4th.

[durden_tyler]

Question as I unfortunately missed most of this game: LeBron had 18 free throws but only 9fgas. What was the context of this discrepancy? Did it feel deserved or gifted?

The context is you should actually watch the games and don’t rely on the dumb # of free throws takes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Family obligations. And I’m not relying on the # to make conclusions, I made an observation of the numbers and asked a question.

Apologies for lumping you with those kind of guys, i assumed too hastily that your post was another one or those FT discrepancies takes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[___Rand___]

I can't believe they actually called a foul there from a replay. Against Bron. Against Lakers.

What else should they do , mask and delete Ant wrist , enlarge the ball and call it as that was clean ?

You know they never call late game fouls. Against legends. Against Lakers. See Knicks game. LOL. That freakin shocked me.

[Michael Jackson]

Be honest, guys...

Can the Lakers comeback down 3-1?

I think there's a slight chance.

Am I crazy?

They win game 5 I am pretty sure but they aren’t deep enough to make that comeback.

[The Warrior]

Well there goes the notion that it was rigged for the Lakers

Well it certainly wasn't rigged for the Wolves, and it was clear as day a foul on the Lakers. What an odd thing to say.

Sent from my Pixel 6a using RealGM mobile app

[Handlez]

Be honest, guys...

Can the Lakers comeback down 3-1?

I think there's a slight chance.

Am I crazy?

Nope.

Ant is the best player in the series and Minnesota just has much more depth.

Lakers screwed not doing the Mark Williams trade. They have no legit big. Also Luka and Reaves do not fit. They both play no defense.


KFC, UFC, ABC Lakers in 5!

Actually, you may be right.

Mark Williams would be huge in this series.

What TF were they really losing to get him? JJ doesn't even play Knecht.

Williams would be feasting.