Doncic set a 79-year NBA record and spoke domineeringly after the game, even Redick was convinced

The 2025-2026 NBA regular season will usher in a focus game. The Los Angeles Lakers will face the Minnesota Timberwolves at home. In the end, the Lakers defeated their opponents 128-110 and got a good start to the new season. The biggest contributor to this victory was undoubtedly Luka Doncic. He not only scored a near-triple-double with 49 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists, but also set a 79-year NBA record. His domineering speech after the game and coach Redick's comments also became the focus of heated discussion.

The first and fourth quarters: From falling behind to overtaking, the Lakers controlled the rhythm throughout the game.

At the beginning of the game, the Timberwolves showed strong offensive momentum and beat the Lakers 6-0 at the beginning. At the critical moment, Doncic stood up and almost single-handedly carried the team's offensive banner. He made 8 of 12 shots in a single quarter, 2 of 5 three-pointers, and scored 23 points. This score accounted for 68% of the Lakers' first quarter scores. Whether it's his signature fadeaway jumper or a breakthrough layup in a quick counterattack, Doncic can play whatever he wants, helping the Lakers narrow the point difference time and time again. At the end of the first quarter, the Timberwolves relied on their early advantages to lead the Lakers by 4 points, 40-36.

Entering the second quarter, Doncic took a break. At this time, Reeves and Rui Hachimura stepped forward. The two took turns to score, clinging to the point difference and preventing the Timberwolves from further expanding their advantage. At the end of halftime, the Lakers successfully overtook the score and led the Timberwolves by 5 points 68-63. Doncic had already scored 32 points at halftime and became the biggest contributor to the Lakers' reversal.

In the third quarter, the Lakers completely found their form, and the team blossomed more. Ayton played hard in the paint and contributed 9 points in a single quarter; Reeves felt explosive and scored 11 points in a single quarter; Rui Hachimura and Vincent were not to be outdone, and they hit 3 three-pointers in total. On the defensive end, the Lakers adopted an unlimited defense strategy, focusing on restricting the Timberwolves' core Edwards, allowing him to only score 8 points in this quarter. Midway through the game, Vanderbilt completed a key steal and then assisted Ayton to complete a dunk. After this round, the Lakers widened the point difference to 14 points. After three quarters, the Lakers firmly held a 108-94 lead.

As soon as the fourth quarter started, Doncic continued to work hard, scoring 7 points in a row, and his personal score directly exceeded 49 points. The Lakers' offensive continued unabated, and the point difference soon exceeded 20 points, and the game basically lost its suspense. Both sides replaced their main players and sent in substitute lineups to finish the remaining time. In the end, the Lakers won the fourth quarter 20-16, and the score was fixed at 128-110, easily winning the game.

2. Comparative data: The Lakers suppressed everything and dominated in many statistics.

In terms of rebounding, the Lakers were slightly behind the Timberwolves 38-40, but the gap was very small and did not affect the overall situation. On the transmission and defensive ends, the Lakers' advantage is very obvious: they lead 26-24 in assists, which shows that the Lakers' team cooperation is smoother and the passing between players is more tacit; they lead 6-4 in steals and 10-12 fewer turnovers than their opponents. In terms of offensive efficiency, the Lakers' advantage is particularly prominent. In terms of shooting percentage, the Lakers led the Timberwolves by a wide margin 59%-47%. In the free throw session, the Lakers also performed well. Not only did they lead 26-15 in free throw attempts, but they also had an advantage in free throw shooting percentage at 81%-71%. In terms of three-pointers, although the Lakers hit 12-13 slightly behind the Timberwolves, their three-point shooting percentage was still ahead at 41%-34%, indicating that the Lakers' three-point shooting is more accurate and each shot is more efficient.

In terms of foul control, the Lakers also did a better job, with 20-27 fewer fouls than the Timberwolves in the game. This not only allows the Lakers players to avoid getting into foul trouble and affecting the rotation, but also reduces the opportunity for the Timberwolves to score free throws, laying a solid foundation for victory in the game. Comparing the statistics of the entire game, only blocks were tied with the Timberwolves 3-3. The Lakers were in the lead or dominant in the rest of the statistics. This comprehensive performance also made this victory a matter of course.

3. Specific performance of the players: The Lakers have a dual-core team, but the Timberwolves cannot support them alone.

In this game, Doncic's performance was phenomenal. He played 34 minutes and 54 seconds, making 14 of 23 shots, 5 of 12 three-pointers, and 16 of 19 free throws. He scored 49 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. He was almost unstoppable on the offensive end. He scored 23 points in the first quarter, tying the first-quarter scoring record in Lakers history jointly held by Kobe and Kuzma; as a point guard, he also grabbed 11 rebounds, providing huge support to the team on both offense and defense.

With this highlight performance, Doncic also set a number of records: He became the second player in Lakers history to score at least 45 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 three-pointers in a single game, comparable to Kobe Bryant in 2007; more importantly, he became the NBA 7 The first player in the 9-year history to score 40+10+5 in the first two games of the season. He is also the first player in the history of the Lakers to score 40+ in two consecutive games in the season. Joining legends such as Chamberlain, Jordan, and Anthony Davis in the 40+ club for two consecutive games in the season. The cumulative score of 92 points in the two games also fully demonstrated his terrifying scoring explosive power.

After the game, Doncic's performance became the focus of the media and fans. The domineering and desire to win he showed in the interview also made people full of expectations for his performance in the new season. When asked about today's status, Doncic said firmly: "I feel very good. I want to win every game." This simple sentence shows his sense of responsibility and desire for victory as the core of the team, which is also the key reason for his continuous explosion. Lakers coach Redick was full of praise for Doncic in an interview and made no secret of his appreciation: "Your point guard grabbed 11 rebounds, which is really great. His performance today was very comprehensive, and his ability to control the game was really great. It was a perfect game for him. "

In addition to Doncic, the performance of the other three Lakers players was also very impressive. Reeves played 36 minutes and made 9 of 15 shots, 2 of 5 three-pointers, and all 5 free throws. He scored 25 points, 7 rebounds and 11 assists, a quasi-triple-double. As an important fulcrum of the team's backcourt, he can not only break through and score to tear apart the opponent's defense, but also rely on his outstanding performance His passing vision provided ammunition to his teammates, and his 11 assists fully demonstrated his linking ability, which perfectly adapted to Doncic's tactical system.

Hachimura made 10 of 13 shots, 2 of 4 three-pointers, 1 of 2 free throws, and scored 23 points and 2 rebounds with a 76.9% shooting rate. His stable finishing on the front line has become an important addition to the Lakers' offense. Hit mid-range jumpers in key rounds to help the team stabilize the point difference.

Ayton also performed well in the paint, making 7 of 11 shots and contributing 15 points, 8 rebounds and 1 block. With his solid inside skills, he grabbed key rebounds many times and completed secondary attacks, building a solid inside barrier for the Lakers.

Although the Lakers' bench did not make much waves, there were players who contributed stable output. Vincent scored 5 points, 2 rebounds and 5 assists, continuing to play his organizational role in the backcourt; Laravia scored 6 points and 1 assist, showing a certain scoring ability in the limited playing time; Smart contributed 3 points and 1 assist, actively fighting on the defensive end, causing a lot of trouble for the opponent; Van Der Biao focused on interior defense and rebound protection Protected, scored 2 points and 7 rebounds. Players such as Cricket, Browne and Cloke played for a short period of time. Although the data was almost blank, they also completed the tactical rotation tasks according to the coach's arrangements and gained rest time for the main players.

Compared with the Lakers' full bloom, the Timberwolves' performance seems a bit "unsustainable." Edwards, the core of the Timberwolves, played 34 minutes, making 11 of 19 shots, 3 of 6 three-pointers, 6 of 9 free throws, and scored 31 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. Looking at the data alone, his performance was quite efficient, but compared to Doncic's historical performance, it pales in comparison, and he was completely defeated in a direct superstar duel. More importantly, Edwards failed to lead the team like Doncic. Although he scored a lot, he was unable to help his teammates find their form. , the team's overall offense was still chaotic, and ultimately failed to lead the Timberwolves to complete the counterattack.

Randle is one of the few bright spots in the Timberwolves. He played 29 minutes and scored 26 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists on 9 of 16 shots. He has a certain impact in the interior and on the front line, and has put in a lot of effort on both offense and defense. But his performance alone cannot make up for the overall shortcomings of the Timberwolves, nor can it stop the Lakers' offensive momentum.

Except for Edwards and Randall, the performance of other Timberwolves players was relatively mediocre. DiVincenzo contributed 13 points and 4 rebounds, and McDaniels scored 10 points and 2 rebounds. The two became the team's other two players in double figures, but their overall contribution was limited and they were unable to provide more help to the team.