The Los Angeles Lakers crushed the Minnesota Timberwolves, 128-110, in LA when these teams first crossed paths this season. But this time around, the Lakers will be without Luka Doncic and at least one other player, who was available in the first encounter, due to injuries. Will the Lakers find a way to beat Minnesota again? Or, will the Timberwolves pounce on the hurting LA side?

Catch this game live on Thursday, October 30, 2025 at 9:30 AM, Manila time

Away: Los Angeles Lakers (2-2, 1-0 Away)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Austin Reaves
  • Jake LaRavia
  • Rui Hachimura
  • Jarred Vanderbilt
  • Deandre Ayton

The early goings for the 2025-26 NBA season are not without big challenges for the Lakers, mostly coming from the injury front. Los Angeles is far from its top form, with both Luka Doncic and LeBron James out. Gabe Vincent also is not expected to miss more than a week, while Marcus Smart and Jaxson Hayes are each listed as questionable for the Timberwolves game. With such a banged-up roster, Los Angeles will have more to ask from Austin Reaves, who has just recently proved to LA fans that he’s heeeem. 

Reaves has been on a tear of late. He has assumed the role of the Lakers’ top option on offense, scoring 51 points in a 127-120 win over the Sacramento Kings on Monday before dropping a 41-point bomb on the Portland Trail Blazers, albeit in a 122-108 loss on Tuesday. And Reaves isn’t going to score 40 or 50 points each night, so this coming game against the Timberwolves calls for more production from the others. Rui Hachimura and Rui Hachimura, who each had 16 points in the Blazers game, have to answer that call, including on defense, as LA is just 18th in the league with a 115.4 defensive rating. 

The Lakers are 2-1 against the spread in their last three games.

Home: Minnesota Timberwolves (2-2, 1-1 Home)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Mike Conley
  • Donte DiVincenzo
  • Jaden McDaniels
  • Julius Randle
  • Rudy Gobert

It’s been an up-and-down season as well for the Timberwolves, who are coming off a 127-114 loss to the Denver Nuggets at home on Tuesday. Minnesota simply had no answer to the 1-2 combo of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, who scored 43 and 25 points, respectively. The good news for the Timberwolves is that they will not be facing any two-man Lakers configuration this Wednesday that is as good as the Nuggets duo. Although Reaves is in the zone, he is on a regression watch now, as he can’t be that hot all the time. 

However, the Timberwolves are also without their best player, as Anthony Edwards, who had 31 points in the loss to the Lakers, is out for at least a week because of a strained right hamstring. Meanwhile, Minnesota still has Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels and Donte DiVincenzo all healthy. Randle had 26 points on 9-for-16 shooting in the previous Lakers game, while DiVincenzo had 13 on 4-for-8 shooting with three 3-pointers. They will have more touches with Edwards sidelined, and the same should go with McDaniels, who led Minnesota with 25 points versus the Nuggets.

The Timberwolves are 3-0 against the spread in their last three home games against the Lakers.

Picks

Spread: Timberwolves (-7.0)

Over/Under: Under (223.5)