Lakers vs. Timberwolves

5 things the Timberwolves’ victory against the Lakers taught us

Among the many highlights of the Timberwolves’ triumph on Friday night were Rudy Gobert’s 20-20 night and Anthony Edwards’ significant second half.

On Friday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves trounced the Los Angeles Lakers, and there were more hints about this team’s makeup this season.

Here are five things we learned during the victory over the Lakers, which included another incredible performance from Rudy Gobert and a strong second half from Anthony Edwards.

Rudy Gobert is worth the ticket price alone.

For the Timberwolves, Gobert had another strong performance, scoring 22 points and grabbing 21 rebounds. With eight offensive rebounds, including one on an Edwards miss with 57.6 seconds left that gave the Wolves a 107-99 lead, the seven-footer was particularly successful on the offensive end.

While Anthony Davis missed the game due to lower back pain, Gobert’s presence also created issues, limiting the Lakers to 41.6 percent shooting for the duration of the contest.

The Timberwolves occasionally seem to be pressing offensive looks on Gobert, but that is still a work in progress. Gobert is averaging 15.0 points and 15.2 rebounds through six games, which is assisting the Timberwolves thus far.

KAT is adjusting to life at the four.

Karl-Anthony Towns’ adjustment to playing with Gobert hasn’t been simple, but Friday was a step in the right direction.

Towns had an explosive fourth quarter, scoring 14 of his team-high 21 points while shooting 6-for-9 from the field and making two 3-pointers. Towns supported his post-game switch to power forward by finishing with eight rebounds and seven assists.

“I’m not doing this for my ego. I only want to succeed “States Towns. “I’ve said that from the start. It’s questioned, but I’m not sure why. I believe my actions and the course of my career thus far are evidence of this. Even when it wasn’t the cool thing to do, I have always prioritised this team and this company.”

Gobert also lauded Towns’ determination to make the change work, which may be advantageous as the two adjust to the Timberwolves’ new offensive scheme.

This season, Anthony Edwards has a goal in mind.

Edwards’ season didn’t start off well, but the second half saw a continuation of his strong play.

In the second half, Edwards scored 23 of his 29 points, but he missed a last-second free shot that would have given him his fourth game with at least 30 points this season.

Edwards is averaging a career-high 23.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in six games. In addition, he is making 35.3 percent of his 3-point attempts while shooting 47 percent overall.

The top selection in the 2020 NBA Draft, Edwards, might have a breakout season if he keeps playing like this.

Pick-and-roll needs improvement.

Towns, Edwards, and Gobert all had good nights, but D’Angelo Russell wasn’t as fortunate.

The point guard for the Timberwolves was only 4-for-15 from the field overall and 2-for-7 from 3-point range. There is more to be anticipated from his offensive game, since it only netted him 11 points on the night, despite his seven assists and six steals, which allowed him to score in other ways.

One explanation may be that the Timberwolves are working out some offensive bugs, and that Russell has to rediscover the pick-and-roll strategy he used to play with Jarret Allen while he was in Brooklyn. We may anticipate that because the season has just played six games, Russell will ultimately become accustomed to playing with Gobert and begin to play more effectively offensively.

The Los Angeles Lakers are as awful as claimed

The Lakers are a lousy club, something that the national media occasionally exaggerates. However, Friday’s game was crystal apparent on this point.

LeBron James finished with 28 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, but the rest of his team is in serious trouble. As previously reported, Russell Westbrook, who entered the game off the bench, went just 6-for-17 from the floor, and Davis, who missed Friday’s game due to ongoing issues.

All of this is fantastic news for the Timberwolves, who hope to climb to the top of the Western Conference’s contenders, but for the time being, it doesn’t seem like the Lakers are a club they need be concerned about.

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