"Recap of NBA action: Lakers bounce back, tie series against Timberwolves"
Luka Doncic tallied 31 points, with 16 of them coming in a dominant first quarter. He also recorded 12 rebounds and nine assists to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 94-85 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.
LeBron James contributed 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura added 16 and 11 points respectively. The Lakers, seeded third in the Western Conference, bounced back from a 22-point loss in the first game of the series. The teams will face off again in Game 3 on Friday in Minneapolis, where the Timberwolves had a 2-0 record against the Lakers during the regular season.
Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 27 and 25 points respectively. However, their team struggled to find their rhythm, shooting only 38% from the field and making a season-low five 3-pointers on 25 attempts. This was also their lowest scoring game of the season.
The Lakers dominated from the start, building a double-digit lead within the first seven minutes of the game. They ended the first quarter with a 34-15 lead, shooting 55% while holding the Timberwolves to 27.8%. The Lakers maintained their lead throughout the game, with a 22-point advantage at halftime.
In another game, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 118-99. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 27 points, while Jalen Williams added 24. The Thunder now have a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference series, with Game 3 scheduled for Thursday in Memphis. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 26 and 23 points respectively.
The Indiana Pacers also secured a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks. Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton both recorded double-doubles, with 24 points and 11 rebounds for Siakam and 21 points and 12 assists for Haliburton. The Pacers never trailed in the game, which ended with a score of 123-115. The series will now shift to Milwaukee for Game 3 on Friday.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 34 points, 18 rebounds, and seven assists, while Bobby Portis added 28 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. However, the Bucks were unable to overcome the Pacers' strong performance, shooting 50.6% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc, but committing 16 turnovers.
