The Lakers led by seven points after the first quarter, but they were outscored 38-20 by Minnesota in the second. Los Angeles wasn't able to trim the deficit to single-digits for the rest of the game, as the Timberwolves led by as many as 27 points.

The trade for Luka Doncic and immediate connection he made with LeBron James has transformed the Lakers into legitimate title contenders.

For the first time since they won the NBA Championship in 2020, the Los Angeles Lakers will not have to fight their way through the NBA Play-In Tournament to get into the playoffs.