Not to be overlooked in Minnesota’s game-closing effort was its stellar defensive showing. The Lakers missed five straight shots after tying the game at 103-103 before Los Angeles coach J.J. Redick waved the white flag and removed the starters from the game in the final minute.

The Lakers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Friday's Game 3, falling 116-104 as the Timberwolves took a two-games-to-one lead in the opening round series. Though the 40-year-old James had a throwback performance with 38 points, the Lakers were unable to overcome the hot Timberwolves on a night when Luka Doncic was dealing with an illness.

When the Los Angeles Lakers kicked off their preseason in early October, it was against the Minnesota Timberwolves. When they started the regular season a few weeks later, their f