The Los Angeles Lakers faced a tough Game 1 loss in the first round of the playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, illustrating their struggles with physicality. Despite having a week to prepare and heal, the Lakers weren't ready for the intense style of play Minnesota brought, leading to a significant scoring deficit. Coach JJ Redick and player Austin Reaves acknowledged their failure to match Minnesota's physicality and defensive strength, while LeBron James suggested the loss would serve as a costly but necessary learning experience for the team as they adapt to playoff conditions.
"It's not to say our guys weren't ready to withstand a playoff-level basketball game. ... I'm not sure physically we were ready," Lakers coach JJ Redick said. "And really when [the Wolves] started playing with a lot of thrust and physicality, we just didn't respond to meet that."
Said Lakers guard Austin Reaves: "I think that they just physically beat us from the get-go."
From the start of the second quarter past the midway point of the third, the Wolves outscored the Lakers 67-33 as Minnesota's plus-sized frontline of the 7-1 Rudy Gobert, the 6-9 Jaden McDaniels and the 6-9 Julius Randle controlled the boards... and dictated the game flow with their defensive presence.
LeBron James... wanted to chalk it up as a costly entry fee for his team. "Maybe it took us one playoff game to now get a feel for it and know what type of intensity, the type of physicality is going to be brought to the game."
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