In Game 2, the Lakers Know They Need to Step Up and Play Physically

Monday in El Segundo, the Lakers were undo no illusion about the stakes in tonight's Game 2 against Minnesota at the Crypt. To a man, it was called a must win. Because while the series isn't over with a loss, winning three of four—with three of the remaining games in Minnesota—would be a very, very tall order. So it's go hard or go home, so to speak, with a big emphasis on go hard. Because that was a big problem in Saturday's loss. The Lakers simply didn't match the physicality and intensity brought by the Wolves, and that, JJ Redick believes, was the biggest contributing factor in the Game 1 loss. 

So that's the first "adjustment," if you want to call it that. Play harder, with more intention, more purpose, more organization. That will allow the game plan, including whatever tweaks Redick and staff have cooked up over the last couple of days, to have a chance of working. 

It'll help, too, for individuals to perform better, starting with Austin Reaves, who described his play as "s***y Monday afternoon. Or Dorian Finney-Smith, who admitted the stagnation offensively from the Lakers, which limited everyone's touches, brought down his energy. 

But again, play harder, move more, set more screens, make more cuts and a lot of that can fix itself. 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky 

 

SEGMENT 1: Not enough physicality in Game 1. 

SEGMENT 2: Reaves calls his play "s***y." 

SEGMENT 3: DFS is candid. 

 

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