Jennifer Hanson
Lebron and Luka are fired up after the ref makes a questionable call.
The Lakers v. Timberwolves playoff series has finally wrapped up. The Timberwolves won the series four games to one allowing them to move one step closer to the final.
It can be argued that the 4th quarter of every game was what won the Timberwolves the series. The Lakers across all games had outscored the Timberwolves through the first three quarters of each game. While the Timberwolves outscored the Lakers in every single fourth quarter.
First-year head coach JJ Reddick, Lakers, made some questionable decisions in his substitution methods. In a crucial game four, he played the starters all 24 minutes of the second half. Which, to be expected, led to exhausted players closing out the game.
Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves, was a strong player for his team averaging just under 30 points per game. He was the star who put in great fourth-quarter runs to push his team over the edge.
Naz Reid was another player who had fantastic fourth quarters. Reid shot a phenomenal 100 percent in the 4th quarter, a completely unbelievable feat. Additionally, Chris Finch coached amazingly – he countered everything JJ Reddick put out.
The Lakers struggled on defense throughout the whole series. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were a liability and the Timberwolves continuously targeted those two. Reddick has been critiqued by the media for not only his substitution methods but also his defense. The playoff Lakers were a completely different team than they were in the regular season.
Now, the Timberwolves get the chance to move on and win the championship. While the Lakers need to rethink and create an approach for next year.