Just when you thought playoff basketball couldn’t get any more chaotic, the mics started snitching. Between leaked sideline rants, on-court trash talk, and Ant Edwards turning into the league’s official prankster, this Lakers–Wolves series feels less like basketball and more like a crossover episode between Inside the NBA and Hard Knocks. And leading the charge? JJ Redick, who’s officially had enough.

JJ Redick didn’t ease into his new role. He dove straight in, headset flying, with a leaked audio clip that sounded less like a clipboard speech and more like a guy coaching a group project full of kids who didn’t read the assignment. As the Lakers’ 22-point cushion started slipping—shrinking to just 11 (62-51) after a sudden 7-0 Timberwolves burst—JJ Redick had seen enough. Visibly fuming, the rookie head coach lit into his squad during a timeout, reportedly unleashing a profanity-laced rant to snap them out of their funk.

“Jesus freaking Christ… stop looking around! This is the freaking playoffs.” And honestly? He’s not wrong. The Lakers looked more lost than a DoorDash driver in the nosebleeds. The Lakers came out of the huddle locked in, ripping off a 9-0 run of their own and ballooning the lead back to 20 in a matter of minutes. Urgency restored. Message received.

But JJ’s not just yelling to yell. He lives for this stuff. Earlier in the week, he dropped a quote that pretty much confirms he’s built for enemy territory: “Just the feeling you get of people hating you and yelling at you and getting the opportunity to silence them…” Oh, and he added that ruining fans’ nights is a personal hobby. Respect. Petty playoff energy is the best kind of energy.

But while JJ Redick was losing his cool, the Timberwolves were busy turning up the chaos in their own way. The energy on the court was as unpredictable as the sideline chatter.

LeBron Gets Trolled: Ant Edwards and the Timberwolves Bring the Heat

Ant Edwards saw an opening when LeBron was yelling at the refs over a call. After LeBron muttered, “Now y’all wanna call that dumba– sh–,” Ant jumped in, “Woah, that’s a Tech! When I say, It’s a tech.” Classic Ant, never missing a chance to get under LeBron’s skin.

Guess Ant’s still figuring out how to stay under the radar after the $50,000 fine for telling a Lakers fan, “My d*** is bigger than yours.” Maybe he’s just looking to rack up some extra pocket change. Either way, LeBron stayed speechless while Ant lived his best life on the sideline.

But Ant wasn’t done. During warmups, he crossed over to the Lakers’ side of the court and casually told Luka, “We ain’t got no good balls, I’ma need one.” Luka, being Luka, tossed him one without hesitation. A wholesome moment before the chaos? Yeah, it’s hard to believe after what went down in the match, but it happened.

And as if that wasn’t enough, things got even spicier when Austin Reaves found himself on the receiving end of some heat from Naz Reid. After Reid set a screen for Mike Conley, Reaves went flying into Reid’s shoulder, hitting the deck and covering his face like he was wishing he could undo his bad decisions.

Reid wasn’t about to let that slide. He hit Reaves with “You a b—h, I’ll smack the sh– out of you.” Reaves, ever the fighter, shot back with “Shut TF up.” No epic comeback, but Reaves made it clear he wasn’t thrilled about getting bulldozed. The Wolves were living their best life, and the Lakers? Well, they were still figuring out how to respond to the madness.

Despite all the sideline rants, trash talk, and Ant Edwards’ playful antics, the Lakers won Game 2, 94–85. LeBron scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Luka dominated with 31 points, 9 assists, and 12 rebounds, giving the Lakers the firepower to beat Minnesota.

The Lakers’ defense was key. They limited the Timberwolves to just 85 points and held them to 20% shooting from deep. With Minnesota’s antics only growing, the Lakers have shown they’re ready for whatever comes next.