Lose Game 2, and LeBron’s twilight chase for another ring could end before he turns 41—no exaggeration, given Sunday’s 117–95 dismantling. This isn’t a tweak to the rotation; it’s a life‑or‑death sprint: every twinge in James’s foot and every tweak in Doncic’s calf will be dissected by millions before tip‑off.
The Los Angeles Lakers failed to deliver in game 1 of their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite his team leading the first quarter, LeBron James had minimal impact in the opening 12 minutes. While his teammate Luka Doncic had an admirable 37-point showing, his efforts still weren’t enough to secure a victory for the Lakers. Under coach JJ Redick, the Lakers must erase Sunday’s 117–95 drubbing and rally for a Game 2 win. But will injuries to their star duo hinder their chances at tying the series 1-1? Let’s find out by diving into the latest injury report.
Lakers vs Timberwolves Game 2 Injury Report – Are Luka Doncic and LeBron James available?
Both LeBron James and Luka Doncic have struggled with nagging injuries this season. All season, James has battled left foot and ankle discomfort. It was so bad that he had to miss the chance to make history by appearing in his 21st consecutive All-Star game. More recently, LeBron injured his groin in a regular-season game against the Celtics. On the other hand, Luka Doncic often found himself on the sidelines when he joined the Lakers due to a recurring calf injury.
However, it seems those worries are now behind the Lakers’ stars. Neither LeBron James nor Luka Doncic appears on the injury report for the second Playoff game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Both James and Dončić are listed as available on the official injury report.
Feb 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) celebrates with forward LeBron James (23) after making a basket during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images
Moreover, there’s only one player on the Lakers’ injury report for this upcoming game. And that’s ex-Mavs star, Maxi Kleber. Since he’s still recovering from foot surgery, the team ruled him OUT for Game 2, delaying his debut. However, he did return to the court to practice with the Lakers ahead of the Playoffs. That means we may see him donning the Purple and Gold for the first time.
Mirroring their opponents, the Timberwolves also only have one player out. And that’s Rob Dillingham, who has a sprained right ankle. Both teams having such few injuries is bound to make the game more exciting!
Game 2 offers the Lakers a chance to reclaim home‑court pride—and they’ll need their stars at full strength. Can JJ Redick learn from his mistakes and guide his men to victory against the T-Wolves?
Can the Lakers redeem themselves, or will they go 2-0 against the Timberwolves?
The Lakers led in the first quarter against Minnesota in Game 1. However, Wolves took a commanding lead in the second quarter, outscoring the Lakers 38-20. And it seems both Luka Doncic and LeBron James know what went wrong in the second quarter and how to fix it.
“You’re playing the Minnesota team, they’re gonna be physical. That’s what they bring to the table. Maybe it took us one Playoff game to now get a feel for it and know what type of intensity, what type of physicality that’s gonna be brought to the game. But that’s just the way they play. So we should be more than prepared for it on Tuesday night,” said LeBron James. For Bron, the first game was recon. A process to gather the Wolves’ strengths and weaknesses. But not many agree with his take.
Stephen A. Smith said it perfectly when he called the Lakers “lethargic” following the T-Wolves loss. LeBron James, in particular, seemed to disappear during the first half for the Lakers. And if he and his team don’t want to go 2-0 in this series, they cannot afford a repeat of that showing. Judging from his words, though, LeBron seems to know that he needs to be his usual dominant and physical self to stand a chance at beating the Timberwolves.
Feb 28, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and guard Luka Doncic (77) react after a play during the fourth quarter against the LA Clippers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images
Moreover, Luka Doncic agrees with Bron that the Lakers simply weren’t physical enough against Minnesota. “I think the first quarter, we played the way we play. I think we played physical. Everyone was locked in, and then we just kind of let go of the rope. So we’ve got to be way more physical,” said the Lakers star. James and Doncic agreeing on what needs to be done in Game 2 against Minnesota just made this series a whole lot more exciting. However, it’s not like Chris Finch will sit idly, twiddling his thumbs as the Lakers concoct a strategy to beat his team.
“We know it’s going to be a long series. We’re not under any assumption that it’s going to be this type of game in Game 2. It’ll be a completely different game. We got a lot left,” said Finch after winning Game 1. So LeBron and Luka will need to be as sharp as tacks to adapt to whatever changes Finch makes to his game plan in their second meeting.
Nonetheless, the answer to the question we posed earlier isn’t as straightforward as you’d think. It isn’t as simple as the Lakers tweaking their plan for this game. That’s because Finch already knows what a team as good as the Lakers will do. So it all comes down to whether the Lakers can establish dominance early and not let go till the final whistle. Otherwise, we’re in for a repeat of Game 1. And we’ll only find out what happens, come game time!
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