Los Angeles Lakers on “Kuz” control in blowout of the Timberwolves

The Los Angeles Lakers thoroughly dismantled the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Los Angeles Lakers did not fall in the trap of their cross the hall rival Clippers as they dished out the punishment instead of receiving it. Kyle Kuzma started the game on fire from distance as the Lakers ran all over the Minnesota Timberwolves. No Anthony Davis, no problems!

The NBA story coming out of Los Angeles will not be the Los Angeles Lakers dismissing the Minnesota Timberwolves from the Staples Center. It will be about the Los Angeles Clippers collapse earlier on Sunday.

Frank Vogel and the coaching staff might have discussed the potential danger of a trap game prior to the team hitting the floor. They had quite a list of Sunday games to back up their claims.

• The Brooklyn Nets lost to the winless Charlotte Hornets. 
• The Milwaukee Bucks got blown out by the New York Knicks.
• The Clippers set an NBA record for futility by falling behind 77-27 by halftime. The Clip Show is the first NBA franchise to fall behind by 50 points in the first half in the shot-clock era. 

While Anthony Davis sat out with a calf strain, the Los Angeles Lakers rode AD’s replacement in the starting lineup in Kyle Kuzma to dominate the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 127-91 blowout. The Lakers have now won two straight games with Portland in town on Monday.

The Good:

Kyle Kuzma played his best half in his career in the first half. He started the game dropping four shots from the land of plenty. He was the only player on the floor in double figures at halftime with 20. His plus/minus was an absurd +27.

But it was not only the shooting, but he was also making plays for his teammates with nifty passes and he played strong defense with two blocks. Folks, this was just the first half.

The entire Lakers roster joined Kuz in the V.I.P. shooting section. The Lake Show was shooting close to 80 percent in the second quarter before the Timberwolves started to at least try on defense. Most of the fluidity came from ball movement as the ball was hopping around the court led by the player that will be named next..

Marc Gasol actually hit some shots from the field. Quite a few. But his damage was done by hitting cutters backdoor for layups, most notably LeBron James.

Lake Show Life has been hit with comments lately about the struggles from Marc Gasol. Again, it needs to mentioned that he will struggle with athletic big men. Karl Anthony Towns being out with a dislocated wrist does have a lot to do with his ease on the floor. However, for now, it looks like this will be a game-by-game process of patience for Lakers fans when it comes to Gasol.

The Bad:

Los Angeles Lakers broadcaster Stu Lantz mentioned that in his opinion Kyle Kuzma could have stayed on the floor while he was on the hot streak. It would have been nice. Being in a zone is an experience that doesn’t come around a lot. It would have been nice to see how long Kuzma could have kept his hot hand.

The Minnesota Timberwolves. They didn’t try. It’s not the Lakers’ fault as the Wolves paid dearly for every defensive mistake they made. It will be interesting to see if the Lakers do not lose their edge with back-to-back blowouts that were basically over by halftime.

LeBron James turned his ankle for the second time in three games late in the second quarter. It seemed mild and he stayed in through the third quarter, but those injuries can pile up. Hopefully, this does not turn into a trend. It’s amazing how those ankles can get aggravated over and over again.

Turnovers are starting to be an issue. Not only that, but opponents are starting to turn the Lakers’ mistakes into easy points.

Anybody watch the Clippers play the Dallas Mavericks? It was ugly, wasn’t it?

The Story:

For the second straight game, the Los Angeles Lakers did not need monster games from their superstars. It was a total team effort with everyone chipping in playing the right way. The defense was so dominant, the turnovers weren’t nearly as much a factor as it could have been.

It is good to see that for the second straight game, the Lakers did not play down to the competition of their opponent. Minnesota did have a small run in the second quarter slicing the lead in half to 15, but after a Frank Vogel timeout, the game was basically over.

Get used to this phrase…the Los Angeles Lakers are loaded with depth.

Lake Show Life’s more in-depth breakdowns will come in Lake Show Life Lessons tomorrow. Keep it locked for the only Los Angeles Lakers post-game report with highlights and in-depth analysis.