At 9:00 a.m. Beijing time on December 31, the NBA regular season staged a key battle, and the Lakers challenged the Timberwolves, the first in the West.
The 23-7 Timberwolves are in first place in the West, winning seven of their last 10 games, averaging 113.4 points per game, ranking 19th in the league, and conceding 107.4 points per game, the fewest teams in the league, with a 13-1 home record.
The Timberwolves' overall performance this season has been very stable, thanks to the stable play of the core framework after the internal relationship has been straightened out, and the two champions on the offensive end, Edwards can contribute 25.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, and Towns can contribute 21.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Defensively, Gobert did his duty, averaging 12.9 points, 12 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game, ranking sixth in the league in defensive efficiency.
In terms of other players, Reed, Conley, and McDaniels are all averaging more than 10 points per game, and veteran Conley is shooting a career-high 45.9% from three-point range.
Lee Kyle and Shan Da Walker, who rotated the lineup, averaged around 7 points per game, and their overall performance was relatively stable.
The Lakers are 4-6 in their last 10 games, 17-15 and 8th in the West, scoring 114.7 points per game, ranking 17th in the league, conceding 114.5 points per game, ranking 15th in the league, and having a 6-11 record on the road.
The Lakers' performance this season is far from expectations, but fortunately, the duo James and Bushy Eyebrow Davis still have good performances even though they are not in very good physical condition, especially Bushy Eyebrow Davis has a high attendance rate and stable performance. The two can contribute an average of 50 points per game, James 25.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.4 assists, and the three-point shooting rate is 41.3%, which is also a career high. Davis averaged 24.9 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.5 blocks per game, and the offensive and defensive deterrence in the restricted area is very strong.
Russell and Reaves, who have both been on the bench recently, are the Lakers' leading scorers outside of the duo, averaging 15.1 points per game, while new starters Hachimura are averaging 12.2 points per game, Prince is averaging 9.9 points per game and Reddish is averaging 7 points per game.
The Lakers, who rank 11th in the league in defensive efficiency, focus on defense, and the shooting percentage on the offensive end is actually good, ranking 5th in the league, but the three-point shooting percentage only ranks 19th in the league, which makes the Lakers not fast enough to score points in some stages, and the offensive efficiency is only ranked 22nd in the league.
The Timberwolves are a defense-oriented team that ranks first in the league in defensive efficiency, and six of the top 15 players in the league in individual defensive efficiency are Timberwolves players. Although the Timberwolves, who have a slower offensive pace, do not average much points per game and only rank 17th in the league in offensive efficiency, they rank 6th in the league in shooting percentage and 5th in the league in three-point shooting percentage.
At present, James and Davis are doubtful for their injury status, and Reddish is likely to play. In the previous game with the Hornets, the Lakers both clocked in in three quarters, James and Bushy Davis had no problem with physical reserves, and head coach Ham said that James and Davis would basically not be absent.
It is worth mentioning that the day of this game coincided with James's 39th birthday.
Statistics show that James averaged 33.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7 assists per game on his birthday night, shooting 56.3% from the field and 43.8% from three-point range, and on his 38th birthday, James scored 47 points to lead the team to defeat the Hawks.
As far as this game is concerned, the Timberwolves who are fighting at home have an advantage in terms of strength and state, but it coincides with James' birthday night, and the Lakers will inevitably have three lives, and the game may not be won or lost until the last minute.