Timberwolves vs Lakers: The Minnesota Timberwolves Won Three Games in a Row

• The Minnesota Timberwolves won three games in a row entering the Play-In Tournament
• The Los Angeles Lakers won back-to-back games to close out the season
• The Minnesota Timberwolves won the regular season series over the Los Angeles Lakers 2-1

The Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Lakers will compete on Tuesday night for the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs! The Los Angeles Lakers finished the season seventh in the West with a 43-49 overall record and a 23-18 home record. The Minnesota Timberwolves finished the season in eighth place, with a 42-40 overall record and a 20-21 road record.

The Lakers salvaged a win over the Timberwolves in their final season meeting, losing the regular season series 2-1. In their last meeting on March 31st, the Lakers defeated the Timberwolves 123-111. Hosted at crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, the Los Angeles Lakers will have a home-court advantage in the Play-In first round.

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Head-to-Head: Minnesota Timberwolves vs Los Angeles Lakers

Injury Report

Spread: Los Angeles Lakers -7.5 (-114) @ FanDuel Sportsbook

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Minnesota Timberwolves ATS Record: 40-42-0

Los Angeles Lakers ATS Record: 40-41-1

The Los Angeles Lakers face off against a short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves team for the seventh seed in the Western Conference. The Timberwolves finished the season eighth in the West with a 42-40 overall record and a 20-21 road record. The Los Angeles Lakers climbed to seventh in the West, owning a 43-39 overall record and a 23-18 home record.

The Lakers enter this game with one of the league's most threatening offenses, averaging 117.2 points per game (6th in the NBA) on 48.2% shooting from the field (10th in the NBA) but just 34.6% shooting from three-point range (25th in the NBA). When they've faced the Timberwolves this season, the Lakers have scored just 109.0 points per game on 44.4% from the field despite winning the rebounding battle by 5.0 on average.

With three key contributors unavailable, the pressure defense of the Timberwolves that forces 15.4 turnovers (5th in the NBA) and collects 8.0 steals (5th in the NBA) per game has been stifled. Despite winning the season series 2-1, Minnesota's offense against the Lakers was held to just 110.7 points per game on 43.8% from the field while committing 13.0 turnovers per game.

We've got to back the LeBron James-led Lakers in a matchup between the upstart but short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves and the veteran-driven Los Angeles Lakers. With the Timberwolves now missing their top interior defender and perimeter defender in Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert, little is preventing the Lakers from getting to the rim. In a scoring battle, Los Angeles should thrive.

Key Players & Stats

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With Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert unavailable, Anthony Davis will aim to dominate the paint. Through 56 games, Davis averaged 25.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists on 56.3% from the field and 25.7% from three-point range. In two games against Minnesota, Davis has averaged 38.0 points and 11.0 rebounds on 56.3% from the field - his production inside will determine Los Angeles' chances at victory.

The most productive big man on the Timberwolves' roster, Karl-Anthony Towns, will need to step up with so many key players unavailable. Through just 29 games this season, Towns averaged 20.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.8 assists on 49.5% from the field and 36.6% from three. Those numbers were similar in two matches against the Lakers this season, but he'll need to step it up to give Minnesota a chance to make the playoffs.

Total: Over 231.0 (-113) @ BetRivers

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The Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves are on the same page regarding pushing the ball and scoring points. The Timberwolves own a combined points average of 231.6 points per game, on a 0.0 differential. The Lakers have a combined 233.8 points total on a plus-0.6 differential.

In Minnesota's most recent five games, they combined to total 231.6 points on a plus-2.8 points differential. The Lakers have averaged a combined 245.4 points per game on a plus-9.0 differential. Los Angeles were 4-1 over their last five-game stretch, while the Timberwolves were 3-2.

Take the over, as the losses of Gobert, McDaniels, and Reid will force the Timberwolves to match pace with the Lakers - who thrive in uptempo play styles. The Timberwolves cleared 231.0 in two of their last five games, while the Lakers did so in four of their previous five. Surprisingly, the Lakers and Timberwolves cleared 231.0 just once through their three-game regular season series.

How to Watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs Los Angeles Lakers

• Where: crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
• When: 10:00 PM EST, Tuesday, April 11, 2023
• How to Watch: TNT
• Streaming: AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV