The Los Angeles Lakers lost their first game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the opening round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, and to keep the series from slipping away, LeBron James issued a warning to Luka Doncic and the rest of his teammates.

On paper, the Lakers were favorites — they finished with the third-best record in the Western Conference (50 wins and 32 losses) and had a high-caliber duo in LeBron and Doncic. But… in the world of the NBA, anything can happen!

Accepting the fact that they weren’t the favorites, Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled off a major comeback from an 8-point deficit and delivered a huge upset by defeating the Lakers 117–95 in Game 1 of this first-round series in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

It wasn’t the best night for either LeBron James or Luka Doncic. While “The King” scored just 19 points, the Slovenian guard managed only one assist for his teammates. So it didn’t take long before a stern warning came from LeBron ahead of Game 2 against the Timberwolves, set for Tuesday, April 22 at 10:00 PM ET.

LeBron’s Warning to Doncic After Lakers’ First Playoff Loss

Luka Doncic and LeBron James. (Photo: Getty Images)

“You know that when you play against a team like Minnesota, you have to be physical. That’s what they bring,” LeBron James warned Doncic and the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers. “So maybe it took us one playoff game to get a feel for it — the kind of intensity and physicality they bring — but that’s how they play. We should be more than ready for that on Tuesday night.”

What the Lakers need to do to win Game 2 vs. Timberwolves in the Playoffs

Following a Game 1 where the Lakers’ bench scored only 13 points, Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson was clear about what needs to change for Game 2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“The Lakers failed in two key areas during their loss to the Timberwolves. Defensively, they allowed Minnesota to shoot over 51% from the field and didn’t respond to their physical style of play. Last but not least, the Lakers’ offense got too stagnant, with players just watching the Big Three — Reeves, Doncic, and James — go one-on-one. We need much more productivity from the bench,” Magic posted on X.