LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers lost Game 3 of their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, putting them down 2-1.
While the Lakers will have the chance to even the series again in Game 4, LeBron James pointed out an aspect that could be a significant concern for the Lakers going forward.
James Highlights Glaring Problem in Game 3 Defeat to Timberwolves
Via his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin revealed that James said that “the Lakers’ turnovers decided the game. (James) pointed to the Wolves’ 91 shots and the Lakers’ 78 shots,” while talking with reporters after the game.
LeBron James said the Lakers’ turnovers decided the game. He pointed to the Wolves’ 91 shots and the Lakers’ 78 shots: “That’s pretty much the game right there”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 26, 2025
The Lakers doubled up the Timberwolves in turnovers, coughing up the ball 16 times compared to the Timberwolves’ eight. That definitely played a role in how they won 116-104. Remember that the game was tied at 103 apiece with four minutes and 37 seconds left, and the Lakers didn’t commit any turnovers from then until the end of the game.
However, that doesn’t nullify the impact their turnovers had on the game’s final outcome. Because the Lakers didn’t take care of the ball, the Timberwolves stayed in the game long enough to finally pull away in Game 3’s closing minutes.
If this doesn’t get cleaned up, the Lakers’ season might be over faster than many anticipated, knowing how strongly their season ended. However, this may not necessarily disprove how good the Lakers are, but rather that this is just a poor matchup for them.
The Lakers definitely have the ceiling of a title contender with James, Luka Dončić, and Austin Reaves leading the way. They just have one fatal flaw: their frontcourt, and they just happen to be facing the one team that can exploit that in the Timberwolves.
Julius Randle, Naz Reid, and Rudy Gobert have all had their standout moments three games into this series, and there’s not much the Lakers can do to combat what those three can do besides going small, which isn’t effective.
The Lakers’ problems are even more complicated because the Timberwolves have a tight perimeter defense between Jaden McDaniels, Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who have made life difficult.
James, Dončić, and Reaves have all had their moments in this series, too. Still, the distinct difference between those three and the aforementioned Timberwolves frontcourt trio is that Minnesota has the personnel to make them work for it.
Taking care of the ball will certainly help the Lakers, but the Timberwolves can arguably exploit their holes more than anyone else in the league.
