The Lakers narrowly defeated the Timberwolves 108-102 in overtime to advance to the playoffs in seventh place in the West.
The Lakers didn't play well and trailed most of the game, with the turning point in the game when Towns received five fouls early in the fourth quarter. Before the 5 fouls, Towns performed very well, shooting accurately on the offensive end, and making the thick eyebrows very uncomfortable on the defensive end. With four fouls on his back, Downs grabbed the rebound and dragged his thick-eyed brother to receive five fouls, after which he began to play tightly.
The Lakers had a chance to end the game in regular time, with James breaking through to assist Schroder's three-point shot and the Lakers taking a three-point lead, leaving only 1.4 seconds for the Timberwolves. The Timberwolves gave the ball to Conley, who made a foul and made all three free throws to drag the game into overtime. However, the Timberwolves scored only four points in overtime and could only accept the loss.
James played more than 45 minutes, shooting 12 of 21, 3 of 6 three-pointers, 30 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists; Thick eyebrows played 43 minutes, shooting 10 of 19, 4 of 6 free throws, scoring 24 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks, including 9 frontcourt rebounds; Schroder played 33 minutes off the bench, shooting 5-of-12, 3-of-4 from three-pointers and 8-of-8 from the free throw line, contributing 21 points, four rebounds and two assists. Reeves had 12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists, Hachimura had 12 points and 2 rebounds, Beasley had 5 points, Russell had just 2 points, 3 rebounds and 8 assists on 1-of-9 shooting, and Troy Brown had 2 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.
Towns played 41 minutes, shooting 8 of 12, 2 of 4 three-pointers, 6 of 6 free throws, 24 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks; Conley shot 7-of-11, 6-of-8 from three-point range, and finished with 23 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals; Prince 14 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals, Anderson 12 points, 5 rebounds, 13 assists, 4 steals and 4 blocks, Edwards 9 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks, Alexander Walker 11 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists, Noel 9 points.
There are "undercover" on both sides, with Russell and Edwards becoming Crouching Dragon Phoenix Chicks, Russell 1 of 9 and 3 of 17 of Edwards. The Timberwolves still have a chance after the loss, and they will face the winner between the Pelicans and Thunder to compete for their final playoff ticket in the West. In the next game, Gobert will return from the suspension.
After winning, the Lakers advance to the playoffs, where they will face the Grizzlies, second in the West, in the first round. In the regular season, the Lakers won 2-1. American media counted the past records and statistics of James and Morant: James averaged 27.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 7 assists and 1.1 blocks per game, shooting 52%, 39% and 78% from three-field range, and he won 6-3; Morant averaged 25.2 points, 4 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 47%, 51% and 76% from three-field range. According to statistics, this is the first time that the Lakers and Grizzlies have met in the playoffs, and the first game between the two sides will start at 3 a.m. on April 17, and fans who want to watch this game need to set the alarm clock and stay up late.
The Lakers created a 0.2% probability miracle. When the Lakers started the season with 2-10, the US media predicted that their chance of making the playoffs was only 0.2%. Of course, Wilson was still with the Lakers at that time. If the Lakers hadn't traded for the West, the Lakers might not have worked wonders. Wilson was cut by the Jazz after leaving the Lakers and then joined the Clippers. The Clippers regained their form and helped the Clippers get fifth in the West. It's not that Wei Shao is bad, it's just that it doesn't fit. One is good, Wei Shao leaving the Lakers, which is good for both sides.