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The Los Angeles Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, bringing together two teams battling for playoff positions in the Western Conference. The Lakers are now in 11th place in the West, 1.5 games behind No. 8 seed Minnesota. LeBron is out for Los Angeles, and Karl-Anthony Towns is out for Minnesota, thus both teams will be lacking at least one important player in this match. D’Angelo Russell, who the Lakers acquired from Minnesota in a midseason trade, is also sidelined with an ankle injury.
The Wolves have survived despite Karl-Anthony Towns’ absence this season. Because of this, they have managed to win despite without having their greatest player available. Towns won’t be back for several more weeks, which is unfortunate. Anthony Edwards, who scores 24.6 points per game on average, is in the lead. Without Towns, Edwards has scored 25.7 points on average each game. Gobert, meanwhile, scores 13.4 points and grabs 11.5 rebounds a game. Without Towns, Gobert averages 13.2 points and 11 rebounds.
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The Wolves have performed better offensively without Towns. With Towns in the starting lineup, Minnesota scores 114.6 points per game on average while 115.7 do without. The Wolves’ field goal shooting percentage ranks fourth in the NBA, while their triple shooting percentage is only 18th. The Wolves also rank 23rd in terms of free throw shooting %. The Wolves are 25th in the nation for rebounding.
On the Lakers Side, Russell is still recovering from an ankle injury, and LeBron is out. Anthony Davis, on the other hand, will play tonight. When the Lakers begin a 5-game homestand, they will see if his return can help them. Davis scores 25.8 points per game while pulling down 12.6 rebounds. While James isn’t playing, he also puts up averages of 16.2 rebounds and 27.8 points.
When the double-team inevitably appears, the Lakers will need their other shooters to assist Davis. As a result, Malik Beasley and Lonnie Walker IV are crucial to success on the court. Rai Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt, two new additions to the Lakers, must also make their shots. Importantly, over the course of three games, Vanderbilt has averaged 9.3 rebounds, making him a force on the glass.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs LA Lakers Game Information
- Date: 03/03/2023
- Time: 10:40 PM ET
- Location: Crypto.com Arena.
- How to Watch Timberwolves vs Lakers: NBC Sports Boston
- Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
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