Game 1 was a disappointing outing for the Los Angeles Lakers as a whole. The team was blown out by 20+ against a Minnesota Timberwolves team that was raining 3-pointers all night. Austin Reaves , in particular, will need a much better performance in Game 2 if the Lakers are going to keep pace.
The breakout star on the Lakers had a mediocre night against the Timberwolves in the series opener. Reaves scored 16 points, shooting 5-of-13 from the field, and added three assists on the offensive end.
The Lakers guard had the second-worst plus/minus of any Los Angeles player in the matchup. Reaves posted a -25 in this contest, only trailing Rui Hachimura (-26) for the lowest mark on the team.
For a top-heavy unit like Los Angeles, their fourth-year guard is incredibly important to the winning formula that is needed for them to overcome several deficiencies. The Lakers must find a way to position Reaves for a bounce-back performance in Game 2, helping him build momentum for the rest of this series.
Reaves' individual success has always been heavily-connected to winning
"Reaves is kind of the guy for LA in a lot of ways, [because] when he's awesome, all of a sudden, they seem impossible to stop," Bill Simmons told Ryen Russillo on The Bill Simmons Podcast.
There is a lot of truth in what Simmons was telling his podcast partner on a live playoff reactions episode of the show. The Lakers have thrived when Reaves has been dialed in.
Los Angeles had a record of 27-9 in the 2024-25 regular season when Reaves scored at least 20 points. That equates to a winning percentage of 75 percent. Three out of four is certainly a terrific success rate.
On the other end of things, the Lakers had a record of 19-18 in the 2024-25 regular season when Reaves scored less than 20 points. They still keep their heads above .500, but that is certainly a recipe far less conducive of winning.
The idea of a team succeeding more often when their best players deliver strong performances feels obvious. However, the point is that the Lakers, as constructed, are not a unit built to withstand a lot of lackluster games from their stars.
There are certainly mismatches in this series that Los Angeles should be able to turn to with the idea of getting Reaves going. Without that, the Lakers will consistently find themselves in a tough spot trying to keep up with the Timberwolves.
