The LA Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves battle it out for the second time in a week on Wednesday. The teams met on Friday at the Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers won that contest 128-110 behind Luka Doncic's 49-point masterclass. He added 11 rebounds and eight assists, nearly dropping a 50-point triple-double.
Meanwhile, Austin Reaves complemented him with an efficient 25-point night with seven rebounds and 11 assists. He shot 9 of 15. On Wednesday, Reaves must carry the Lakers offensively as Doncic will miss his third consecutive game with a left finger sprain and left leg contusion.
Over the past couple of games, he's dropped a combined 92 points against the Kings and Trail Blazers, effectively carrying the team on his shoulders.
On the other hand, the Timberwolves will be out for revenge after giving up a first-half advantage in Friday's game against LA. They led 45-40 early in the second quarter but couldn't hold on as Doncic shifted the momentum in LA's favor.
Anthony Edwards and Juluys Randle were the only impactful players. Edwards had 31 points, four rebounds and five assists on 11 of 19 shooting. Randle finished with 26 points, nine rebounds and six assists on 9 of 16 shooting.
The Timberwolves will also miss their best player as Edwards is sidelined with a hamstring injury for two weeks, leaving the onus on Randle to carry the team.
The Lakers could start Austin Reaves and Marcus Smart in the backcourt. Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton will likely retain their spots on the frontcourt. If Smart misses out, LA could roll with the lineup from Monday's game against Portland, which featured Jake LaRavia at the two.
The Timberwolves will likely stick with the lineup from Monday's loss to Denver. Mike Conley Jr. filled in for the injured Anthony Edwards at point guard, with Donte DiVincenzo as his backcourt partner. Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert were the other three starters.
The Lakers will be without Luka Doncic (leg, finger), LeBron James (sciatica), Gabe Vincent (ankle), Adou Thiero (knee) and Maxi Kleber (oblique).
Meanwhile, Jaxson Hayes and Marcus Smart are questionable. Hayes is dealing with a knee issue and Smart is nursing a quad injury.
The Timberwolves have ruled out Anthony Edwards (hamstring), while Jaylen Clark is questionable with a calf issue.