The Los Angeles Lakers came out and punched the Minnesota Timberwolves in the mouth on Tuesday night, winning the first quarter 34-15. It’s exactly what head coach JJ Redick would have wanted to see after his veteran team was embarrassed by the young T-Wolves in a 22-point loss in Game 1.
That big first quarter turned out to be enough to sustain the Lakers until the final whistle, as they took the lead three minutes into the game and never relinquished it on their way to a 94-85 victory that evened the series at one game apiece.
After going up 18-8 early on, the Lakers cruised with a double-digit lead for much of the game. However, things were getting a little dicey when Edwards flipped one in to cut the lead to 11 about halfway through the third quarter. That turned out to be the TSN turning point in this one.
Angry Redick timeout sparks Lakers run
The score was 62-51 and the Lakers were about to inbound side-out with about 7:40 left in the third quarter. However, evidently the players on the floor were not listening to Redick as he attempted to set up a play. This led to an incensed Redick calling timeout and marched on to the floor in a big, expletive-laden circle before returning to the bench.
“Time out. What the f*ck is going on. Jesus f*cking Christ, what the f*ck are you guys doing. Come on!”
-JJ Redick to the Lakers team before they went on their run pic.twitter.com/i0mJdkRwZl
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) April 23, 2025
After the game, Redick was asked about the “frustration” he showed during that animated timeout break. Redick downplayed the mini-tirade.
“Not frustration. Just coaching. I think when we were organized and in the right spots we ran some good stuff and frankly, I thought we missed some open threes. … So I mean other than just a couple of disorganized plays we played good offense tonight.”
JJ Redick on his heated 3Q time out call last night against the Timberwolves:
“Not frustration, just coaching.”
h/t @ohnohedidnt24
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) April 23, 2025
It seems Redick’s “coaching” in that moment was just the kick in the pants the Lakers needed to get their heads back in it. They promptly went on a 14-3 run directly after that timeout to juice the lead up above 20 and make it a comfortable finish. L.A. was outscored 20-13 in a sloppy fourth quarter, but they’d already done the legwork by then.
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LeBron James continued to struggle shooting the ball, though he still contributed 21 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists on the night. Luka Magic was on full display as Doncic went for 31 points, 12 rebounds, and nine dimes. Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura also chipped 16 and 11 points, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves got absolutely nothing out of anyone not named Edwards or Randle. Those two combined for 52 points on 49 percent shooting while the rest of the team went 11-for-40 for 33 points.
JJ Redick and the Lakers will look to retake home court advantage with a second straight win on Friday night in Game 3.
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