Magic Johnson lost his calm! Back in a 146-115 loss to the Chicago Bulls in March, Johnson was quick to call out the team for their lack of effort on defense. The 5x NBA champ is the biggest supporter of the Purple and Gold. He is one of the first to root and cheer for the team in victory and extend his support during defeats. But he is also the biggest critic of the Lakers. Before the Lakers’ latest matchup, he had issued a warning as well. As the team lost 117-95 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the champ didn’t mince his words.

Ahead of the matchup, Johnson took to social media to express his nervousness. He shared his concern about whether the Lakers would be able to beat the Timberwolves, who have the star player Anthony Edwards. “I’m scared for my Lakers because the game’s most exciting player, superstar Anthony Edwards, is a matchup problem,” Johnson wrote on X. And during the matchup, it seems the Lakers couldn’t meet the champ’s expectations.

Taking to his X handle, Johnson wrote, “Tonight was one of the Lakers worst performances this season. They were flat, had no energy, and they played like it was a regular season game.” Are the Lakers listening? Coming from Magic, this isn’t just a casual tweet; it’s a direct challenge to the team’s competitiveness and playoff readiness, a stark indictment of their lack of urgency on the grand stage. His words carry the weight of championships and demand a response from the players and the coaching staff alike.

The Lakers’ performance at the opening-round playoff series wasn’t up to the notch and while its just Game 1, it clearly frustrated Johnson. Only 3 players from the Lakers, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James scored in double digits while the Timberwolves received massive help from the bench. This was crucial and evident in the matchup.

James and Austin Reaves combined to shoot 13-for-31 from the field, while the Wolves shot 50% from behind the arc. The team set a playoff franchise record with 21 three-pointers, which highlights the Lakers’ issues with defense, a persistent Achilles’ heel that Magic has frequently pointed out, and a glaring area that the Timberwolves ruthlessly exploited. Johnson also had a few words for the Lakers head coach JJ Redick. 

“Coach JJ Redick did a great job all season, but he didn’t do a good job for Game 1. The Lakers stood around on offense, played too much one-on-one basketball, and he didn’t make any necessary adjustments,” Johnson wrote. For one, Redick knows where things went wrong and is quite serious about making the changes heading to Game 2. 

Doncic hit 37 points, but it wasn’t enough to change the Lakers’ fate. The Timberwolves took control of the game with a 38–20 run in the second quarter. James’ struggles were evident, as he couldn’t score in the first quarter. He went on to add 19 points.

While in the fourth quarter the Los Angeles Lakers closed the gap to 12 points, it wasn’t enough, as the Timberwolves still held the upper hand. Jaden McDaniels had 25 points, while Naz Reid added a significant 23 points off the bench, helping the Timberwolves clinch the win by a comfortable 22-point margin, underscoring the Lakers’ inability to contain Minnesota’s secondary scoring options and highlighting the crucial difference in bench production. Edwards, who had an incredible performance, was seen exiting during the third quarter after getting hurt, a potential turning point that the Lakers failed to exploit, further highlighting their lackluster performance and raising questions about their focus and urgency.

Anthony Edwards and Naz Reid seemingly hurt in the Matchup against Lakers

The 23-year-old put up 22 points to lead the Timberwolves. However, he exited the game in the third quarter. After a bad landing on a driving jump shot, Edwards seemingly had cramps as he limped his way toward the visiting locker room.

Ahead of the game, James had high praise for Edwards. After being drafted as the No. 1 pick in 2020, he has been named an NBA All-Star three times. “Ant is amazing…Unbelievable basketball junkie, loves to play the game of basketball, great kid. And all the success he’s gotten throughout his young career has been awesome to see, he’s put the work in,” James said. The two were together on Team USA.

Another Wolves player who appeared to be hurt was Reid. In the fourth quarter, he sustained a head injury after getting hit with an elbow to the face from Lakers forward Jared Vanderbilt. The Lakers will face the Minnesota Timberwolves again, and if they lose the game, it will prove to be more problematic for the Lakers moving forward, potentially facing a daunting 0-2 deficit and amplifying the pressure from Magic Johnson and the entire Lakers fanbase..