NBA Insider Shares Troubling Outlook for Lakers Against Timberwolves

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Evan Massey | Last updated Apr 21, 2025 11:41 AM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves squared off in the first game of their first-round matchup on Saturday night. What happened was not good news for the Lakers.

Despite starting the game strong, Los Angeles lost by a final score of 117-95.

Throughout the course of the game, the Lakers looked completely outmatched. Anthony Edwards and company scored at will and made things very difficult for Los Angeles on the offensive end of the court.

Luka Doncic had a strong game, scoring 37 points on 12-for-22 shooting, including making five of his 10 3-point attempts. LeBron James scored 19 points on 8-for-18 shooting.

Even though Doncic had a huge performance, the Lakers didn't look like a team who could keep up with the Timberwolves.

Following the Game 1 loss, NBA insider Ric Bucher has shared a troubling outlook for Los Angeles moving forward in its series against Minnesota.

During an appearance on the talk show "The Facility," Bucher detailed his honest thoughts about why the Lakers are in trouble.

"The Wolves said we got something for you. They don’t have an answer for their athleticism," he said.

His whole reasoning can be viewed in the video below:

.@RicBucher says the Lakers are in big trouble after Game 1 loss vs. T-Wolves:

"The Wolves said we got something for you. They don’t have an answer for their athleticism." pic.twitter.com/LoSEcDSACI
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) April 21, 2025

Los Angeles has to figure out how to slow down the athleticism of the Timberwolves. That will be easier said than done.

On Tuesday night, the Lakers are set to play Game 2 against Minnesota in Los Angeles. They can't afford to drop both games at home to begin the series. The game will tip off at 10:00 p.m. ET and can be watched on TNT, truTV, and Max.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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