Lakers legend Magic Johnson calls out team for putrid Game 1 performance: 'Had no energy'

The Los Angeles Lakers were embarrassed connected their location tribunal to commencement the NBA Playoffs connected Saturday night, arsenic the Minnesota Timberwolves bushed them 117-95 successful a crippled wherever starters didn’t adjacent request to enactment connected the level passim the 4th quarter.

The Lakers are the No. 3 effect successful the Western Conference to statesman these playoffs, but the Timberwolves were having their mode connected the violative extremity to manus them the lone home-team nonaccomplishment connected opening nighttime of the playoffs. 

The mediocre show led 1 Lakers fable to effort and airy a occurrence underneath his erstwhile squad. 

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Minnesota Timberwolves defender Anthony Edwards drives past Los Angeles Lakers defender Austin Reaves astatine Crypto.com Arena. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)

"Tonight was 1 of the Lakers worst performances this season," Magic Johnson wrote connected X. "They were flat, had nary energy, and they played similar it was a regular play game."

Johnson wasn’t done there, arsenic helium besides pointed a digit astatine caput manager JJ Redick. 

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"Coach JJ Redick did a large occupation each play but helium didn’t bash a bully occupation for Game 1," Johnson continued. "The Lakers stood astir connected offense, played excessively overmuch one-on-one basketball, and helium didn’t marque immoderate indispensable adjustments."

If adjustments were made, they didn’t enactment against Minnesota’s violative attack, which changeable 51.2% from the tract arsenic a squad and a whopping 50% from beyond the arc. 

The Timberwolves were raining threes, going 21-for-42 with large antheral Naz Reid having the blistery hand, burying six of his 9 three-point attempts. 

Minnesota Timberwolves defender Anthony Edwards drives past Los Angeles Lakers guardant Rui Hachimura astatine Crypto.com Arena. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)

Anthony Edwards, who was adjacent to notching a triple-double with 22 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds, besides deed 4 threes contempt a shaky outing (8-for-22 shooting overall). Jaden McDaniels was highly businesslike with a team-high 25 points connected 11-for-13 shooting with 9 rebounds. 

Meanwhile, the Lakers struggled passim the game, shooting 39.8% from the field. Luka Doncic was the exception, going 12-for-22 from the field, and 5-for-10 from three, for a game-high 37 points. LeBron James was 8-for-18, portion Austin Reaves was lone 5-for-13. 

Los Angeles was starring aft the archetypal quarter, but the Timberwolves got blistery successful the 2nd and ne'er looked back. By the extremity of the game, starters from some teams were resting, with Minnesota putting it retired of reach. 

James spoke aft the game, wherever helium recognized the Timberwolves’ violative power. 

Magic Johnson speaks during a ceremonial celebrating Michael Cooper's induction into the hoops hallway of fame astatine halftime of a crippled betwixt the Lakers and the Denver Nuggets astatine Crypto.com Arena connected April 25, 2024, successful Los Angeles. (Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)

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"They’re going to beryllium physical," helium explained. "That’s what they bring to the table. It took america 1 game… (to) recognize that. They took location tribunal vantage from america tonight, but we person to power the controllables, and if we bash that, we’ll person a overmuch amended accidental to triumph than we did tonight."

The Lakers and Timberwolves are backmost successful enactment connected Tuesday for Game 2 of their first-round matchup. 

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