Lakers analysts critical of Timberwolves over celebration
A couple of analysts for the Los Angeles Lakers sounded pretty salty after the team’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
The Timberwolves trounced the Lakers 110-92, their second blowout win over the Lakers this season. Wolves star Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored a game-high 28 points, was particularly hyped several times during the game.
🗣 "I'M OUT HERE!"
KAT was fired up vs. the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/GkzyjjutMK
— ESPN (@espn) December 18, 2021
Towns trolled Lakers star Anthony Davis a bit during the game, and Wolves teammate Patrick Beverley also got in on some of the fun.
KAT tells AD he's too small.
Pat Bev tells Rondo & Ellington they are too smallpic.twitter.com/AV6MBko4ss— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) December 18, 2021
After the game, ex-Lakers guard Derek Fisher, now an analyst for Spectrum SportsNet, criticized the Wolves’ for the way that they handled themselves.
“You tip your hat to Minnesota to some degree,” said Fisher. “[But] it was a lot of clown type of action. You know that the Lakers had one hand tied behind their back. Act like you’ve won a basketball game before. There was a lot of showing out and extra stuff that I hope the Lakers remember.”
“Oh, oh you mean it wasn’t Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals?” added Fisher’s co-host Chris McGee.
The Lakers were without several players due to health and safety protocols and lost Davis to injury during the game. That said though, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, and Co. were all available. Minnesota was also somewhat shorthanded with their second-leading scorer Anthony Edwards in protocols as well.
The Wolves simply outworked and outhustled the Lakers on Friday. They beat the Lakers in offensive rebounds 15-1 and were quicker to the ball on the other end as well with 13 steals. For a team slowly creeping their way into the playoff picture, it was a big win in front of their home crowd.
The criticism of the Wolves for celebrating too hard is also ironic because the Lakers were the ones celebrating pretty hard during their previous game against the Dallas Mavericks when Austin Reaves hit a game-winning three.
Another look at Austin Reaves' CLUTCH game-winning triple for the @Lakers! pic.twitter.com/rMojOA4LvI
— NBA (@NBA) December 16, 2021
The Lakers, now 16-14 overall, have not handled losing very well this season. It sounds like that was the case with Friday’s loss to Minnesota as well.
H/T NBA Reddit