"This is not the Lakers": Former 6th Man of the Year cooks LeBron James and Co. as Timberwolves bag giant first-half lead
The shorthanded Minnesota Timberwolves shocked the NBA world by blowing out the Denver Nuggets 106-80 during Monday's Game 2 second-round playoff showdown. Amid their dominant road victory, three-time Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford took a shot at Denver's first-round opponent, the LA Lakers.
The Nuggets took care of business in Round 1, dispatching LeBron James and the Lakers in five games, finishing 3-0 at home. However, the defending champions have since dropped Games 1 and 2 at the Ball Arena in Round 2, trailing 2-0 with the series shifting to Minnesota.
Denver's high-octane offense was completely neutralized in Game 2, as it mustered up only 35 first-half points on 14-for-43 (32.6%) shooting. Meanwhile, Minnesota tallied 61 first-half points on 24-for-44 (54.5%) shooting, building a massive 26-point halftime edge.
During the Wolves' first-half onslaught, Crawford offered a simple explanation for the Nuggets' drop-off.
"This is not the Lakers," Crawford said during TNT's broadcast.
The Wolves' defense has been on another level than the Lakers' all season. They entered the postseason ranked No. 1 in defensive rating (108.4), while the Lakers ranked 17th (114.8).
Minnesota maintained its defensive dominance on Monday without 2024 Defensive Player of the Year finalist Rudy Gobert. The star center missed the contest following the birth of his first child.
With their decisive Game 2 victory, the Wolves improved to 6-0 in the playoffs. They will look to extend their perfect record during Friday's Game 3 face-off in Minnesota.
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Nuggets' struggles against Timberwolves could create additional questions for Lakers
The Lakers face an offseason of uncertainty following their 4-1 first-round playoff series loss to the Nuggets. They already fired their coach Darvin Ham. Meanwhile, LeBron James is expected to opt out of his $51.4 million player option for next season and seek a new contract.
Some fans remain optimistic about LA's chances of building a contending roster, as its postseason loss to Denver was closer than it appeared. Three of the Lakers' four defeats came by single digits. Meanwhile, they regularly built double-digit leads before coming up short.
Thus, LA seemingly wasn't too far from challenging the defending champions. However, if the Nuggets suffer an early second-round exit against Minnesota, the Lakers may have to reassess their championship hopes.
The Western Conference continues to improve, with the Timberwolves being among several young teams looking primed to dominate the next few years. If Minnesota and fellow rising West powerhouse, the OKC Thunder, continue their ascension, that may slam shut LA's title window.
Watch: After going 1 of 10, Jamal Murray throws heat pack on the floor during Timberwolves-Nuggets in frustration over foul call