True Lakers Fans

(6-4) at (2-6)

Sunday, November 13, 2016, 4:00 PM PDT
Target Center, Minneapolis, MN

Referees: Tony Brothers (#25), Courtney Kirkland (#61), Ben Taylor (#46)

Line: Timberwolves -4.5





GAME PREVIEW: LAKERS AT TIMBERWOLVES

BY NBA.COM

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves seemed to be two teams on similar paths; young rosters filled with high draft picks to develop with new coaches.

While Minnesota's youth seemed to be further along and the Timberwolves were considered an upstart team to begin the season, Los Angeles has adapted the quickest with its new pieces gelling under coach Luke Walton.

The two teams get their first chance at each other Sunday as each will play the second game of back-to-back situations.

The Lakers (6-4) showed their growth again on Saturday night in New Orleans, cruising to a 126-99 victory against the Pelicans. Los Angeles has won five of its past six games.

"I think our guys love competing," Walton said. "I think they feel more challenged in the second half to go get it done. It's almost as if when the game starts, you know we have 48 minutes to get it done. Obviously, we don't want that ... but it's a process."

Under coach Tom Thibodeau, Minnesota has struggled to open the season, especially on the defensive end. The Timberwolves (2-6) lost at home to the league-leading Los Angeles Clippers 119-105 on Saturday night, giving up 21 fast-break points to Los Angeles and allowing the Clippers to shoot 52.6 percent from the field and make 11 of 24 3-pointers.

"Right now we're not consistent enough," Thibodeau said. "We have to build the right habits. Defensively it's hard to win when you give up 119 points."

Defensive improvement was expected under Thibodeau for a team that has long struggled to stop opponents. The transition is proving to take time. Minnesota has allowed 119 points in two of its past three games. Opponents have scored more than 102 in all but one game.

The Timberwolves did get point guard Ricky Rubio back in the lineup on Saturday after he missed five games with a sprained right elbow. Rubio had seven points, six rebounds and six assists in the loss.

"I'm trying to find a rhythm, trying to find how to run the team too," Rubio said. "First game back after a couple weeks, just get the rust off."

Minnesota's talent has shined at times on the offensive end. The Timberwolves have two players averaging more than 20 points per game in forward Andrew Wiggins (23.8) and center Karl-Anthony Towns (22.1). Guard Zach LaVine was also above the mark before he was held to 15 points on 7 of 15 shooting on Saturday.

Wiggins struggled against the Clippers' league-best defense on Saturday. He scored 22 points but was constantly harassed and shot just 8 of 24.

The Lakers had no trouble shooting Saturday against New Orleans, particularly from Los Angeles' guards and bench.

Jordan Clarkson scored 23 points and Williams added 21 for the Lakers, who entered the game leading the league with 48.8 points per game from their bench.

"Me and Lou are going to be real aggressive coming in. We're trying to do a good job of leading this second group, bringing the energy, scoring the ball, pushing the pace," Clarkson told the Associated Press. "Coach gave that to us. That's our role and that's what we're going to do."

Including starters DeAngelo Russell (22 points) and Nick Young (15), the Lakers' backcourt accounted for 81 points on 31-of-51 shooting, including 15 of 25 from 3-point range.

"We got some great guards -- we got some killers," Russell said. "It's up to us to go out there and maintain it and do it every game."

Los Angeles rookie Brandon Ingram left Saturday's game with a sprained ankle but told the Associated Press he could have returned if the game was closer.

Of course, these are two teams used to integrating high draft picks. Towns was picked No. 1 overall a year ago, one spot ahead of Russell. In 2014, Wiggins was the top pick by Cleveland before being traded to Minnesota. The Lakers took Julius Randle seventh overall.

Ingram was this year's second pick and the Timberwolves went with Kris Dunn at No. 5.

http://www.nba.com/games/20161113/LALMIN#/preview

Kudos to Robert for calling the 6-4 record 3 games back!

Let's make it 7-4. This should be an extremely interesting match up.

Kudos to Luke.

Anyway this game is tough. They also played last night but as an outside team our legs are more important.
I love our team but still not sold on them quite yet in terms of being a truly good team

So I was asked by a certain member to get in here more often. Happy to oblige! The Lakeshow is back to being an actual show. Fun games to watch win or lose....or win. I think Randle is getting better before our eyes. He's not getting all the press but I love his fire. Very early still but my 30 win season looks like an underestimation. Sitting back and and loving watching our youth develop and waiting for the day a trade presents itself where a star is offered and we have to think real hard about letting one of these kids go. Progress!

Luol's game will come around with time. Right now he's more focused on the glue than the glow. It's nice to hear these words from someone who knows and appreciates his character. My Heat season ticket holder friend echoed the same sentiments.

Depth. Our strength. Obviously Thibs will play his starters huge minutes. Let's see how they deal with OUR "Death Squad" when they tire.

Welp. Flat. Getting destroyed by more than 20 at the half. Wake up call.

Sorry for the late check-in, running around town doing dad stuff all day. Looking like the Wiggins Show tonight. Russell and Young are building a brick house. Seems like we'll live and die with our FG% this year as we struggle to play more well-rounded cohesive squads with all the right pieces.

Is Deng our new Hibbert?

Heyyyyy -- three players in double-digits!! Here we come!!

Here comes Sweet Lou!!!

(five players in double figures now)

Well, uhh, wow . . feast or famine. Still 6-5 and ain't nothin wrong with that. On to the next!

I missed this game have it recorded it probably won't watch.

This isn't beyond us. On the road we aren't guaranteed to win simply be. Sure we have a better record.

Minny isn't shabby, honestly no team is except the Pels without AD

Yeah tough loss for our guys but hey since Robert voted secretly for Donald lpmua6 I will take it out on our Fantasy League and win that anyway, you can thank him when I kick everyone's ass in our league . - and Ken don't stick up for him you didn't for me with his bull shit so it is what it is. Dude thinks I silently voted for lpmua6 and nobody in here sticks up for me, what fucking bull shit. That's ok

3Peatkb24 wrote:Dude thinks I silently voted for lpmua6 and nobody in here sticks up for me, what fucking bull shit. That's ok

I will go out on a limb here and guess that Robert was joking. He knows you're from Indiana. If he wasn't joking, he certainly owes you a HUGE apology!

I met 3Peat and can vouch for his pragmatic, liberal leaning thinking. He's not one of the rubes.

KobeMVP888 wrote:

3Peatkb24 wrote:Dude thinks I silently voted for lpmua6 and nobody in here sticks up for me, what fucking bull shit. That's ok

I will go out on a limb here and guess that Robert was joking. He knows you're from Indiana. If he wasn't joking, he certainly owes you a HUGE apology!

I met 3Peat and can vouch for his pragmatic, liberal leaning thinking. He's not one of the rubes.

Thanks Kenny. I take that sort of stuff serious, not as serious as you but that offended me. If he was joking than I apologize for getting upset but I sure didn't see it that way. If he was serious he basically has called me liar, I have never in my life voted Republican. I started voting in 1992 and voted both terms for Bill Clinton, voted for Gore in 2000, I didn't vote in 2004 because I figured there was no way Kerry would beat Bush anyway and I wasn't a huge fan of Kerry. I voted hwuyat both terms as well. Now I am not a huge fan of Hillary but I still voted for her. I liked Bernie more.