Down, 3-1, in the opening-round Western Conference playoff series against the No. 6 seeded Timberolves, the No. 3 Lakers are not quite in the position they expected. But L.A. is not eliminated just yet, and with two home games remaining among the possible three games of this series, there is hope.
Of course, the Lakers would have to deliver Minnesota’s first three-game losing streak since early January to make it happen. The odds are slim.
Given his team’s struggles to this point, especially in the fourth quarter, coach JJ Redick has a two-word description of the state of his team.
It’s a group that is “on edge” going into Wednesday’s game. And Redick is OK with that.
“I would describe us as ‘on edge,’ as we should be. We have to play with a sense of desperation,” Redick told reporters, via Spectrum Sports’ Mike Trudell.
JJ Redick on LA trailing 3-1 heading into Wednesday’s Game 5:
“I would describe us as ‘on edge’, as we should be. We have to play with a sense of desperation.”
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 29, 2025
Redick came under fire for his handling of the Lakers in the second half of the loss to the Timberwolves, in which he played only five players for all 24 minutes. The Lakers ran out of gas in the fourth quarter, outscored, 32-13, but Redick said that is part of a trend with his team, not a matter of being fatigued for that one game.
There’s some truth there. According to NBA stats, the Lakers have an offensive rating of 82.1 in the playoffs in the fourth quarter, 15th out of 16 teams still playing. They have a defensive rating of 125.0, which is 13th.
The combined net rating for the Lakers in the fourth quarter is minus-42.9, which is dead last among all playoff teams (even Miami).
The Lakers and Timberwolves will tip off Game 5 in L.A. at 10 p.m. ET.