The Lakers had no answer once again for Anthony Edwards in Game 4 on Sunday and also showed their lack of depth while not executing down the stretch.
A crucial Game 4 on Sunday saw the Minnesota Timberwolves gain a stranglehold on the series, going up 3-1. The Lakers led by ten entering the fourth quarter before a barrage of baskets from superstar Anthony Edwards gave the Wolves the victory.
After battling a stomach flu throughout Game 3, Luka Doncic returned to his scoring form, putting up 38 points. But he only tallied two assists while committing four turnovers. LeBron James went 5-9 from the field but got to the line 18 times, connecting on 15.
Only 13 teams in NBA history have climbed out of the 3-1 hole the Lakers currently see themselves in. The series now moves back to Los Angeles in a win-or-go-home scenario.
Let’s explore the three key takeaways from this one.
The Lakers still have no answer for Anthony Edwards
Edwards was brilliant once again, as he has been throughout the series. He finished with a game-high 43 points to go with nine rebounds and six assists. Every time LA made a push to gain separation in the fourth, he responded, scoring 16 in the final frame.
The Lakers threw everything at Edwards, but to no avail. He sliced through their defense on switches with drives to the rim, forcing the Lakers into rotation or step-back 3-pointers. When they blitzed, he skillfully extended the trap to create a 4-on-3 situation for his team to exploit.
Edwards has averaged 29.8 points, 5.8 assists, and 7.8 rebounds for the series, shooting 43.2% from three. He has not only matched up consistently against his superstar counterparts, Luka Dončić and LeBron James, but he has also outperformed them.
This presents a recipe for a loss for LA, which must change if they intend to add to the history books.
J.J. Redick only trusted five players
Coming out of Game 4, the dominant stat was the minutes category, in which head coach J.J. Redick elected to play only five players in the second half. He started Dorian Finney-Smith in the third quarter benching starting center Jaxson Hayes.
The five-man unit of Dončić, Austin Reaves, LeBron, Finney-Smith, and Rui Hachimura played all 24 second-half minutes, something that has never been done before in NBA history. The only other player to receive double-digit minutes was Gabe Vincent.
Minnesota’s depth versus the Lakers’ top-heavy roster was an area of concern for LA. coming into the series, and it reared its ugly head on Sunday. The Lakers lost the fourth quarter 32-19, unable to keep up with the more athletic Wolves.
James and Dončić both played for 46 minutes, a total that will be unsustainable moving forward. If the Lakers hope to continue this series, they must find ways to give them a breather throughout the game.
Late game offensive execution
A second consecutive game went down to the wire with LA again out-executed. The Wolves went on a 13-1 run to close Game 3 after the two sides were tied with four minutes remaining. In Game 4, the Lakers led 104-97 with five minutes to play, but the Wolves finished the game on a 19-9 run.
LA shot just 5-18 (27.8%) in the fourth quarter, while the Wolves went 10-22 (45%). The offense’s stagnating nature continued as the Lakers went mismatch hunting as Dončić sought out Naz Reid, who once again replaced Rudy Gobert to close.
The Lakers’ offense stopped and they nursed their short lead by milking the clock with no ball movement. LeBron went scoreless in the fourth, only attempting one shot. Dončić shot just 1-6 while Reaves went 2-7.
Following the blockbuster Dončić trade, the Lakers were supposed to have the two best closers in the game. That has not played out so far in this series. As per the NBA’s tracking data, LA has been outscored by 14 points in the two crunch-time games, shooting just 4-12 from the field.
They will need more creativity and organization in late-game offensive execution if they hope to extend this series to a Game 6 back in Minnesota.
Game 5 tips off on Wednesday, back in Los Angeles.
You can follow Raj on Twitter at @RajChipalu.