In-form LA Lakers host short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves in play-in battle
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Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is happy about his team's strong finish to the regular season.
PHOTO: AFP
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers finished the regular season surfing a wave of momentum, while the Minnesota Timberwolves are engulfed in a punch-driven drama that will leave them without centre Rudy Gobert.
One of these teams will claim a National Basketball Association (NBA) play-off spot on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning, Singapore time) when the Lakers host the Timberwolves in a Western Conference play-in game.
The winner will be the No. 7 seed in the West and will play the No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the post-season.
The loser will play against either the New Orleans Pelicans or Oklahoma City Thunder for the No. 8 seed to take on the Denver Nuggets.
Minnesota (42-40) will be without rim protector Gobert, after he was suspended for punching teammate Kyle Anderson in the chest during a 113-108 home victory over the Pelicans on Sunday.
Los Angeles (43-39) overcame a dismal 2-10 start and transformed the roster at the trade deadline before catching fire down the stretch with nine wins in their last 11 games.
The Lakers finished seventh in the West, falling a game short of landing a guaranteed play-off spot. But the stellar finish has the team encouraged about the prospects of a play-off run.
“We put ourselves in a position where we can move on,” forward LeBron James said.
“That’s all we asked for, to put ourselves in a position to move on. We obviously had a very, very slow start. So, to know where we are today, you can be happy about that but not satisfied.”
The Timberwolves have won seven of their past 10 games but their victory in the regular season finale was overshadowed by Gobert’s punch at Anderson during a timeout in the second quarter.
Teammates quickly intervened and he was taken to the locker room and soon sent home. On Monday, the Timberwolves flew to Los Angeles without him and will be trying to beat the Lakers without the three-time Defensive Player of the Year.
“It’s certainly not something that we condone,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said, after Sunday’s game.
“Veterans can get upset, too. I don’t want to be too hard on him but, obviously, it’s not something we’re going to be able to tolerate here.”
On Sunday night, Gobert said he was sorry for the incident.
“Emotions got the best of me today. I should not have reacted the way I did,” he said on Twitter.
Minnesota also will be without Jaden McDaniels, who fractured his right hand by punching a wall during Sunday’s game.
Compared to the Timberwolves, the Lakers are in a serene environment and are facing a situation that did not seem all that probable when they were 26-32 on Feb 13.
But Los Angeles went 17-7 down the stretch while mixing in new players. They were able to shed Russell Westbrook in a three-team trade, in which they obtained D’Angelo Russell from the Timberwolves and received Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt from the Utah Jazz.
Now there is optimism that the Lakers can make some noise in the post-season.
“We’re just looking forward to the opportunity,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said, after Sunday’s 128-117 home win over the Jazz.
“Starting where we started at earlier in the year, and now sitting where we find ourselves sitting, we’re excited. Guys are ready to go. We’ve got great synergy in our locker room.”
Minnesota went 2-1 against the Lakers in the regular season, including a 110-102 win in Los Angeles on March 3. REUTERS
