LeBron dropped 38, Luka had a flu, and the Wolves packed the Lakers’ bags anyway.
Well, Game 3 between the Lakers and Timberwolves had everything: LeBron turning back the clock, Luka Dončić looking like he needed an IV and a nap, and the Timberwolves treating the Lakers like an unpaid parking ticket.
LeBron James showed up like it was 2012 again, casually throwing up 38 points and 10 rebounds. The man was moving like Father Time asked for a rain check.
Problem is, basketball’s still a team sport — and the rest of the Lakers decided to cosplay as traffic cones.
Luka Dončić was clearly on “respawn timer” mode, sick with the flu and moving like your Wi-Fi was buffering. The dude gutted out 17 points on 6-of-16 shooting but looked like he needed a medic every timeout.
Austin Reaves tried to play hero ball too, dropping 20 points, but the Lakers’ 16 turnovers were basically a charity drive for the Wolves — “Free Points For Everyone!”
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves were out there like a Shonen anime squad. Jaden McDaniels hit a career-high 30 points and probably unlocked a new badge in 2K mid-game.
Anthony Edwards? Just casually flirting with a triple-double (29-8-8) while hitting dagger threes and flexing like the anime opening just dropped.
The Lakers actually led for, like, five glorious minutes after a 13-2 run, but then Minnesota said, “That’s cute” and outscored them 62-46 in the second half. RIP to that brief Lakers momentum.
Watching the Lakers’ second-half offense was like watching a raccoon trying to solve a Rubik’s cube — aggressive but extremely confused.
By the end, LeBron looked like that exhausted dad at Disneyland — carrying the team, carrying the bags, carrying the dreams… all while nobody else knows where the map is.
Now the Lakers are down 2-1 in the series, and Game 4 on Sunday might as well be labeled “Survive or Start Booking Cancun Flights.”
If the Lakers don’t fix their turnover allergy and find a Luka that isn’t running on DayQuil fumes, Timberwolves fans are gonna be howling into Round 2.
Stay tuned. It’s getting spicy.
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