LA Lakers level first-round series against Minnesota Timberwolves behind big Luka Dončić performance

Luka Dončić powered the Los Angeles Lakers to a 94-85 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2 on Tuesday, levelling their first-round playoff series at 1-1. The Slovenian sensation scored 14 of his game-high 31 points in the first quarter as the Lakers took a commanding 19-point lead heading into the second. Minnesota closed the gap to nine in the fourth quarter, but never looked like a serious threat to the Lakers' advantage. Dončić's impressive performance was marked by 12 rebounds, nine assists, and a block, demonstrating why he was traded to the Lakers in February. The 26-year-old's stats read eerily similar to those he put up when the Mavericks dispatched the Timberwolves in last season's Western Conference Finals. LeBron James added 21 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and a block, while Austin Reaves chipped in 16 points, five rebounds, and five assists. The Lakers' focus before the game was to "play harder" than they did in Game 1 and "match physicality with physicality," which they achieved. On the Timberwolves' side, Julius Randle led the scoring with 27 points, while Anthony Edwards had 25. However, it was the drop-off from Minnesota's role players that really hindered the team. Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid, who combined for 48 points on 19-of-25 shooting in Game 1, managed only 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting in Game 2. "We looked at what we didn't do so well, which is a lot of things in Game 1," James said, per the Associated Press. "We took it to heart, held each other accountable, and had a much better result." He also acknowledged that the Lakers can still improve offensively, but trusts their percentages if they continue to get good looks.