After Sunday’s narrow 114-110 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers find themselves down 3-1 in the first-round series, a far cry from the expectations set just two weeks ago.
A Series That Has Slipped Away
When the playoffs began, L.A. had the fourth-best championship odds (+1400 at DraftKings), fueled by the excitement around Luka Dončić’s midseason arrival and LeBron James’ spring resurgence.
The Lakers were -190 favorites to defeat the Timberwolves, a team they had seemingly matched up well against. After all, Luka’s track record of haunting Minnesota — including last spring’s unforgettable dagger over Rudy Gobert — gave L.A. fans every reason to feel confident.
Through two games at home, the series was tied, but Game 3 in Minnesota proved pivotal. Dončić, battling a stomach bug, labored through a rough night while the Lakers’ energy waned late, allowing the Timberwolves to pull away 116-104.
Sunday’s Game 4 followed a similar pattern: the Lakers kept it close, with LeBron hitting clutch triples and Dončić gutting it out for key buckets, but ultimately they couldn’t overcome Minnesota’s youth, size, and late-game execution.
The Timberwolves’ defense, which ranked among the league’s best during the regular season (fourth lowest in points allowed per game), has lived up to its billing. Jaden McDaniels’ versatility has been a major factor, and Anthony Edwards has established himself as a budding superstar, consistently making critical plays down the stretch.
The Lakers’ issues inside — compounded by their failure to find a starting center to fill Anthony Davis’s spot after the Dončić trade — have been glaring. Even with Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, and LeBron pitching in on the glass, Minnesota’s athleticism, and second-chance opportunities have tilted the series.
The Lakers’ high-volume three-point shooting, boosted to 47.1% of their shot attempts since Luka’s arrival, has kept them afloat at times, but it hasn’t been enough to win the possession battles that matter most.
Odds Plummet as Lakers Face Elimination
The consequences of dropping Games 3 and 4 in Minnesota have been immediate and dramatic. Once considered viable contenders, the Lakers have seen their championship odds freefall from +1400 entering the postseason to +5000 after Sunday’s loss — now eighth among remaining teams.
In contrast, the Timberwolves have rocketed up the board. Pre-playoffs, Minnesota was a +6500 longshot to win the title. After taking a 3-1 series lead, their odds have surged to +2200, fifth-best overall and third in the Western Conference behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors.
The Lakers still have the firepower to push the series back to Minnesota for a Game 6, but they’ll need more than LeBron’s heroics and a compromised Luka to pull it off.
With the Thunder already through to the next round and teams like the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers looking increasingly dominant in the East, the margin for error for L.A. is razor-thin.
One thing is clear: the Lakers’ path from here is steep. They return to Crypto.com Arena for Game 5 needing to stave off elimination, but against a Wolves team that has proven resilient and fearless, they’ll have to find a higher gear or their season will end far sooner than anyone expected.
For more California sports betting news, check us out at CA Sports Betting Sites.
