The Los Angeles Lakers are gaining momentum just at the right time of the year. After a 116-97 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday afternoon, the Lakers climbed to the 8th seed for the first time since December 29th. However, they will face a stern test tonight when they meet the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Crypto.com Arena. This encounter will be their fourth and final this season, with T-Wolves holding the season series lead 2-1. As the LeBron James-led Lakers aim to even the season series and extend their winning streak to five, Lakers head coach Darwin Ham issued a stark warning to the NBA world before the game.

After the Lakers’ victory over the Cavs, head coach Ham said in the post-game interview, “Our identity going forward is just the way we defend. Once we defend, we get stops and hold teams with one shot. What we do offensively it’s just through the roof like it’s hard to contain us, and the defense helps the offense when you’re able to force live ball turnovers, hold teams, bad shots, and long misses. It ignites your break and allows you to get into a good rhythm offensively…If we defend at that level, we take care of the ball, we’re a pretty tough team to beat, and so we just need to continue to sustain that type of defense you saw tonight.”

The Lakers’ recent success can be attributed in part to their upgraded perimeter defense, as evidenced by their impressive 107.1 defensive rating over the last 10 games, placing them fifth in the league. The most recent example of their defensive masterclass came against the Cavs, which saw Anthony Davis muster up 13 rebounds (including nine defensive rebounds) six blocks, and three steals to go with his 22 points and four assists. The Lakers also received plenty of support from D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Spencer Dinwiddie on the perimeter defense.

The Lakers also bolstered their guard defense after adding Spencer Dinwiddie from the buyout market. Dinwiddie earlier made headlines after blocking a game-winning shot from Damian Lillard to secure the Lakers’ 123-122 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Mar. 9. He grabbed two rebounds and dished out two assists in addition to three steals and six points against the Cavs.

Gabe Vincent’s return after undergoing knee surgery has also played a role in the Lakers’ defensive turnaround. While Vincent only had two assists against the Cavs, he made his presence felt on the defensive end. “He’s a guy that’s not worried about how many shots he gets or how many touches. He wants to make his mark felt on the defensive end. I felt like he did that,” said Ham.

Can the Timberwolves weather the Lakers’ defensive storm?

The Minnesota Timberwolves, once the dominant force in the Western Conference, have slipped to the second seed. And while their No. 1 ranked defense (107.7) has been a major factor in their success this season, their 18th-ranked offense (114.4) has left much to be desired. Therefore, Minnesota’s offense could struggle against the Lakers’ improved defense, especially with Karl Anthony Towns out of the lineup.

Towns was averaging 22.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists on 50.6% shooting efficiency from the field and 42.3% from the deep before undergoing surgery to repair the left meniscus. However, Anthony Edwards is expected to pick up the slack in Towns’ absence to help the team bounce back from a humbling 97-87 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

In addition to Towns, Jaylen Clark will also miss the game against the Lakers due to a ruptured Achilles tendon. From the LA side, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and Christian Wood are ruled out for Sunday’s game.

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