Magic Johnson trashes Lakers after alarming playoff loss to Timberwolves – New York Post
2025-04-20T14:50:00Z
The Lakers got dominated on their home floor Saturday night in Game 1 of their first-round NBA playoff series against the Timberwolves, and Magic Johnson isn’t happy about it.
The Lakers got dominated on their home floor Saturday night in Game 1 of their first-round NBA playoff series against the Timberwolves, and Magic Johnson isn’t happy about it.
Johnson took to social media to rip the No. 3-seeded Lakers, the only home team to lose on the opening day of the playoffs that featured four games, as they fell 117-95.
“Tonight was one of the Lakers worst performances this season,” the Lakers legend wrote on X Saturday night. “They were flat, had no energy, and they played like it was a regular season game.”
3 Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts after taking an elbow from Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) in the second half of an NBA playoff game on April 19, 2025. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Johnson also took aim at first-year head coach JJ Redick.
“Coach JJ Redick did a great job all season but he didn’t do a good job for Game 1,” Johnson wrote. “The Lakers stood around on offense, played too much one-on-one basketball, and he didn’t make any necessary adjustments.”
Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards flirted with a triple-double, scoring 22 points with nine assists and eight rebounds, while Jaden McDaniels had 25 points on 11-for-13 shooting with nine rebounds.
3 Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, center, shoots as Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, right, and guard Luka Doncic defend on April 19, 2025. AP
Julius Randle, whom the Knicks traded to Minnesota in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade before the season, added 16 points, five rebounds and five assists as the Timberwolves shot 51.2 percent (44-for-86) from the field, including 50 percent (21-for-42) from 3-point range.
The Lakers, meanwhile, shot 39.8 percent (33-for-83) from the field and 36.6 percent (15-for-41) from deep.
They led by seven after the first quarter before being outscored by 18 points in the second as they were out-muscled by the opposition.
3 Magic Johnson AFP via Getty Images
“This Minnesota team, they’re going to be physical,” LeBron James, who had 19 points, told reporters. “That’s what they bring to the table. It took us one game … (to) understand that. They took homecourt advantage from us tonight, but we have to control the controllables, and if we do that, we’ll have a much better chance to win than we did tonight.”
Luka Doncic scored a game-high 37 points with eight rebounds.
Los Angeles will look to even the series at home Tuesday night in Game 2 before the series shifts to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday.
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