The LeBron James-Luka Doncic playoff era officially began in the City of Angels on Saturday. However, it was not the start the Lakers were looking for in their first-round matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. What unfolded was a scene straight out of National Geographic rather than a basketball game at Crypto.com Arena. The Wolves attacked their hapless prey from all angles and, when it was all said and done, had dismantled the Lakers by 22 points. A big part of this was their tremendous bench play, contributing 43 points, outscoring the Lakers’ bench by a whopping 30-point margin. Game 2 was quite the opposite. The Lakers came onto the court with a sense of purpose. Both Lebron James and Luka Doncic were on fire, combining for 52 points, while working the glass for 23 rebounds and distributing the ball efficiently with 16 assists. The T-Wolves did not have any answer for the Lakers duo and were held to just 85 points on Tuesday night.

With the series now all squared up at one each, Target Center in downtown Minneapolis will now play host for the next installment of this heavyweight clash in the West. Coming off a high, the Lakers are not looking to make any changes to their starting lineup that helped them bounce back in Game 2. It would once again be up to LeBron James and Luka Doncic to carry the Lakers offensively. Both of them would be raring to go, especially after their exploits on Tuesday. Maxi Kleber is the only Laker on the injury list. The German suffered a broken right foot on January 25 against the Boston Celtics while he was still with Dallas. There was genuine concern on the face of JJ Redick when he saw his SF take a shot to the face in the opening moments of Game 2. Fortunately, this would not be serious, and Hachimura would return to the game wearing a face mask, which he would later do away with completely.

For the Wolves, Rob Dillingham continues to be unavailable due to a sprained right ankle. The former Kentucky Wildcat will miss his fourth consecutive game. The Minnesota training staff has made sure that all the other players on their roster are in top physical condition. Anthony Edwards would be looking to take advantage of some good ol’ home cooking come Friday night.

The series is right in the balance, but if any player can break it wide open, it certainly would be the Slovenian Don. Doncic has been sensational through Games 1 and 2. In fact during his standout performance on Tuesday night, he became just the third Laker, after George Mikan and Shaquille O’Neal, to have scored 30+ points in his first 2 Laker playoff games. James, on the other hand, seems to be aging like fine wine. At age 40, he continues to defy the odds, managing to keep the Lakers relevant year after year in a stacked Western Conference. The most important aspect of head coaching is making sure the best starting 5 is chosen. JJ Redick and Chris Finch would have by now figured out who their starting 5 would be on Friday. Let’s see what we can expect from their lineups.

What to expect from both teams’ starting lineups in Game 3

It is highly unlikely that the Lakers would be making any changes to their starting-5 from the previous game. Everyone is healthy, but for Maxi Kleber. As far as form goes, four out of five starters for the Lakers hit double figures in their impressive Game 2 victory. This means that their starting lineup for Game 3 would look something like this.

Minnesota, which would be rearing to make a comeback at home, is likely to go in for the same 5 as in Game 2. There are no major injury concerns in their ranks, with the exception being Rob Dillingham. Their lineup is expected to be no different from the one they put out in Games 1 and 2.

The T-Wolves would want to make home-court advantage count. They also would be seeking redemption for their Game 2 loss. The Lakers, however, would want to carry on from where they left off at Crypto.com Arena. Game 3 is sure to be an interesting one with both teams trying to gain the smallest of advantages in such a high-stakes series. It’s now or never!