LeBron James calls out Minnesota Timberwolves' physical play after Los Angeles Lakers' Game 1 playoff collapse: "....those are things we can't control"

The Los Angeles Lakers entered their playoff opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves as favorites, but a 117-95 blowout loss has shifted the pressure onto them ahead of Game 2. LeBron James pointed to the Timberwolves’ aggressive style as a key factor in the defeat.

After the game, LeBron James didn’t hold back in his assessment of the Timberwolves’ game plan. He acknowledged their physicality and admitted the Lakers needed to adjust quickly.
“When you play this Minnesota team, they’re gonna be physical. That’s what they bring to the table,” James said. “Maybe it took us one playoff game to now get a feel for it and know what type of intensity and type of physicality that’s being brought to the game. That’s just the way they play. We should be more than prepared for that on Tuesday night.”

The Los Angeles Lakers started strong, led by Luka Doncic’s early scoring, and held a first-quarter advantage. But the game shifted dramatically in the second quarter when the Timberwolves outscored them 38-20, setting the tone for the rest of the night.

Minnesota’s three-point barrage buried the Los Angeles Lakers, as they hit 21 of 42 attempts from deep. Many of those shots were uncontested, a problem James emphasized must be fixed.
“We got to do a better job of controlling the controllables. I don’t think we did a good enough job after the first quarter,” LeBron James said. “Giving up 21 threes, giving up 20-plus fast-break points, second-chance points—those are some of the things that we can control.”
He also stressed the need for tighter perimeter defense. “They have a lot of guys that can shoot from the perimeter. We got to do a better job of closing out on the bodies, getting out on shooters.”

Despite the Los Angeles Lakers’ struggles, James improved as the game progressed. After a quiet first quarter, he scored 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting the rest of the way. His performance offered a silver lining, but the team will need a more complete effort in Game 2 to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole.
Also read: What really went wrong with the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves? Head coach JJ Redick comments on major shortcomings
The Lakers will have a chance to even the series on Tuesday before the matchup shifts to Minnesota. Adjustments to counter the Timberwolves’ physicality and three-point shooting will be crucial if they hope to bounce back.