Minnesota Timberwolves vs Los Angeles Lakers Match Player Stats (Oct 29, 2025)
Austin Reaves buried a 12 foot floater at the buzzer to complete a 116 to 115 Lakers comeback victory over the Timberwolves on October 29, 2025. Julius Randle led all scorers with 33 points for Minnesota, but a coaching decision on the final defensive possession cost the Wolves a game they’d fought back to win. Reaves finished with 28 points and 16 assists while Jake LaRavia went 10 for 11 from the field for 27 points.
Table of Contents
Final Stats and Scoring Summary
| Category | Los Angeles Lakers | Minnesota Timberwolves |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 116 | 115 |
| Record | 3-2 | 2-3 |
| Field Goal % | 54.2% | 50.0% |
| Three Point % | 35.5% | 50.0% |
| Free Throw % | 68.2% | 81.8% |
| Total Rebounds | 40 | 34 |
| Assists | 34 | 30 |
| Turnovers | 19 | 18 |
| Points in Paint | 60 | 44 |
| Bench Points | 24 | 21 |
Top Individual Performances
Los Angeles Lakers Starters
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Reaves | 39:39 | 28 | 1 | 16 | 9-24 | 3-11 | 7-7 | -1 |
| Jake LaRavia | 37:16 | 27 | 8 | 2 | 10-11 | 5-6 | 2-5 | +3 |
| Deandre Ayton | 35:18 | 17 | 10 | 3 | 8-11 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 0 |
| Rui Hachimura | 37:12 | 17 | 5 | 4 | 7-14 | 1-4 | 2-2 | -7 |
| Jarred Vanderbilt | 26:26 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 1-3 | 0-1 | 1-2 | +4 |
Minnesota Timberwolves Starters
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julius Randle | 35:31 | 33 | 5 | 6 | 10-20 | 4-7 | 9-10 | -1 |
| Jaden McDaniels | 40:57 | 30 | 7 | 1 | 11-19 | 3-4 | 5-5 | +10 |
| Rudy Gobert | 38:13 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 4-5 | 0-0 | 1-2 | +7 |
| Donte DiVincenzo | 33:43 | 14 | 4 | 6 | 4-7 | 3-5 | 3-3 | +7 |
| Mike Conley | 28:23 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 3-6 | 2-4 | 0-0 | +2 |
Both rosters were gutted by injuries. LeBron James remains out with sciatica and hasn’t played a game this NBA regular season. Luka Doncic missed his second straight with leg and finger issues. Anthony Edwards sat for Minnesota with a hamstring injury suffered the previous week.
LaRavia’s 27 Points on 10 for 11 Shooting
LaRavia plays a limited role for the Lakers. He left Target Center having put up 27 points on 10 for 11 shooting from the field and 5 for 6 from three point range. His offensive rating of 142 led both teams with an effective field goal percentage of 113.6%. He scored 17 of his 27 points in the third quarter, personally building the Lakers’ 20 point lead with a string of makes from all three levels.
Corner threes off Reaves’ penetration. Transition layups. Spot up jumpers in rhythm. He finished 10 for 11 from the field before missing a free throw late in the fourth quarter. Anthony Edwards, sitting on the bench in street clothes, reportedly exchanged words with LaRavia after a couple of those corner threes.
Quarter by Quarter: How a 20 Point Lead Nearly Vanished
| Quarter | Lakers | Timberwolves | Key Events |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 32 | 34 | Randle scored 13, MIN shot 7-13 from three |
| 2nd | 30 | 24 | LAL defense held MIN to 47.6% shooting |
| 3rd | 35 | 28 | LaRavia went 7-8 with 17 points, LAL up 20 |
| 4th | 19 | 29 | MIN rallied with 14-2 run, took lead with 10.2 left |
Randle came out aggressive in the opening quarter, scoring 13 points while the Wolves connected on 7 of 13 three point attempts. Minnesota took a 34 to 32 lead into the second period.
Los Angeles adjusted defensively and held Minnesota to just 24 second quarter points. The Lakers took a 62 to 58 advantage into halftime behind better shot selection and transition defense.
The third quarter belonged to LaRavia. He went 7 for 8 with 17 points as the Lakers stretched their lead to 97 to 86 heading into the final period. At one point, Los Angeles led 95 to 75.
Minnesota’s starters watched their bench surrender the entire lead, then came back with desperation energy. The Wolves outscored the Lakers 29 to 19 in the fourth quarter, closing with a 14 to 2 run over the final four minutes to erase what looked like a comfortable Lakers victory. Randle drove baseline and scored with 10.2 seconds remaining to give Minnesota a 115 to 114 lead.
The comeback appeared complete.
The Coaching Decision That Changed Everything
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch took full responsibility for the defensive breakdown on the final possession.
“It’s on me,” Finch said after the game. “I should’ve had Rudy just switch. We got split in coverage and we should’ve just switched it and kept everybody in front.”
The Lakers inbounded to Reaves with 6.6 seconds remaining. Ayton came high to set a ball screen at the top of the key. Minnesota played drop coverage, with Gobert retreating toward the rim while McDaniels fought over the screen to stay with Reaves. Drop coverage protects against lobs to the rim by having the big man drop back toward the basket. But the Lakers were missing their primary lob threats in LeBron and Luka. Reaves isn’t a lob passer. He operates best between 10 and 15 feet in the midrange.
The scheme gave him exactly what he wanted. He split the two defenders, got into his comfort zone, and rose up for a 12 foot floater. It never touched iron. Swish at the buzzer.
Finch acknowledged the tactical error immediately. A switch would have put Gobert, a four time Defensive Player of the Year and 7 foot 1 rim protector, directly on Reaves. Minnesota chose the scheme that conceded the one shot Reaves most wanted. The Wolves had 10.2 seconds to defend one possession and win the game. The wrong defensive coverage cost them.
Reaves Playing Point Guard Without LeBron or Luka
This was Reaves’ third consecutive game as the Lakers’ primary option with both LeBron and Luka sidelined. He scored 51 against Sacramento, 41 against Portland, and now 28 with the game winner against Minnesota. The 16 assists tied his career high and gave him a 56.8% assist rate. His offensive rating of 125 shows he ran the offense efficiently despite shooting 37.5% from the field.
Going 9 for 24 overall and 3 for 11 from three wasn’t efficient. But he was the primary creator for 39 minutes. The assist numbers validate his playmaking.
Randle’s 33 Points and the Plus Minus Problem
Randle did everything possible to win this game. He finished with 33 points on 10 for 20 shooting, 4 for 7 from three, and 9 for 10 from the free throw line. But his plus minus was minus 1. Minnesota was outscored by one point during his 35 minutes on the floor.
Compare that to McDaniels, who scored 30 points on 11 for 19 shooting and posted a plus 10. McDaniels played 40 minutes. Minnesota outscored the Lakers by 10 points when McDaniels was on the court in a game the Wolves lost by one. His two way impact exceeded Randle’s scoring volume. The numbers show individual scoring doesn’t always correlate with team success. McDaniels’ defensive effort and efficient offense lifted the entire unit while Randle’s isolation scoring produced points without positive team impact.
Minnesota’s Bench: 21 Points on Minus 30 Plus Minus
The Timberwolves bench was catastrophic. The plus minus numbers are brutal.
| Player | Minutes | Points | FG | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrence Shannon Jr. | 16:19 | 0 | 0-3 | -14 |
| Naz Reid | 22:16 | 5 | 2-10 | -8 |
| Rob Dillingham | 16:16 | 8 | 4-8 | -7 |
| Bones Hyland | 8:23 | 8 | 3-4 | -1 |
Shannon Jr. went scoreless in 16 minutes and posted a minus 14. Reid shot 20% from the field and was a minus 8 in over 22 minutes. The bench combined for 21 points but was outscored by 30 points when factoring in plus minus.
Minnesota’s starters played championship caliber basketball all night. Every rotation to the bench surrendered the lead. By the time the starters returned for the fourth quarter, they faced a massive deficit. The comeback they mounted was heroic. But the hole was entirely created by bench failures.
The Lakers bench was productive. Dalton Knecht scored 15 points on 7 for 12 shooting in 36 minutes. Even Bronny James, in less than five minutes of garbage time, posted a plus 5.
Complete Box Scores and Advanced Metrics
Los Angeles Lakers Full Stats
| Player | MP | PTS | FG-FGA | 3P-3PA | FT-FTA | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Reaves | 39:39 | 28 | 9-24 | 3-11 | 7-7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Jake LaRavia | 37:16 | 27 | 10-11 | 5-6 | 2-5 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Rui Hachimura | 37:12 | 17 | 7-14 | 1-4 | 2-2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Deandre Ayton | 35:18 | 17 | 8-11 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Jarred Vanderbilt | 26:26 | 3 | 1-3 | 0-1 | 1-2 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Dalton Knecht | 36:20 | 15 | 7-12 | 1-5 | 0-1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaxson Hayes | 12:42 | 2 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Nick Smith Jr. | 10:08 | 7 | 2-6 | 1-4 | 2-3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Bronny James | 4:59 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Minnesota Timberwolves Full Stats
| Player | MP | PTS | FG-FGA | 3P-3PA | FT-FTA | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaden McDaniels | 40:57 | 30 | 11-19 | 3-4 | 5-5 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Julius Randle | 35:31 | 33 | 10-20 | 4-7 | 9-10 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Rudy Gobert | 38:13 | 9 | 4-5 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Donte DiVincenzo | 33:43 | 14 | 4-7 | 3-5 | 3-3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Mike Conley | 28:23 | 8 | 3-6 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Naz Reid | 22:16 | 5 | 2-10 | 1-5 | 0-2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Rob Dillingham | 16:16 | 8 | 4-8 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Terrence Shannon Jr. | 16:19 | 0 | 0-3 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Bones Hyland | 8:23 | 8 | 3-4 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
Efficiency Comparison
| Metric | Lakers | Timberwolves |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive Rating | 117.9 | 116.9 |
| Defensive Rating | 116.9 | 117.9 |
| Effective FG% | 60.8% | 59.1% |
| True Shooting % | 62.6% | 62.7% |
| Offensive Rebound % | 30.6% | 23.7% |
Top Individual Efficiency Numbers
Lakers: LaRavia (142 ORtg), Ayton (126 ORtg), Reaves (125 ORtg)
Timberwolves: McDaniels (137 ORtg), Randle (129 ORtg), DiVincenzo (129 ORtg)
Three Point Shooting vs Paint Scoring
Minnesota connected on 15 of 30 three point attempts for 50%. The Lakers made 11 of 31 for 35.5%. That nine point differential from beyond the arc kept the Wolves within striking distance all night.
DiVincenzo went 3 for 5 from three. Conley hit 2 of 4. McDaniels connected on 3 of 4. Randle made 4 of 7. Whenever the Lakers extended their lead to 15 or 18, Minnesota answered with threes to cut it back to single digits.
The Lakers scored 60 points in the paint compared to Minnesota’s 44. Ayton shot 8 for 11 from the field with 0 three point attempts, getting most of his production inside. Los Angeles generated high percentage looks near the rim throughout the game.
Los Angeles also controlled the offensive glass. Vanderbilt pulled down six offensive rebounds in just 26 minutes. Those second chance opportunities kept possessions alive and led to 14 second chance points.
Western Conference Implications
The Lakers improved to 3 and 2 to start the season without LeBron James playing a single minute. Los Angeles is currently positioned for the Western Conference play in tournament. Minnesota fell to 2 and 3, remaining in play-in tournament position in the Western Conference. Without Anthony Edwards, the Wolves are losing close games that could cost them playoff positioning.
Reaves has emerged as the Lakers’ primary creator in the absence of LeBron and Luka. Three straight games with 28 or more points. Career high tying 16 assists. A buzzer beater to win on the road. The production isn’t temporary fill in work. Reaves is playing like a franchise cornerstone.
What Decides Close Games
Minnesota’s ceiling is championship level when the starters are healthy and engaged. McDaniels, Randle, Gobert, DiVincenzo, and Conley combined for a plus 35 in a game they lost by one. The starting five excelled on both ends. Their floor is catastrophically low when the bench takes the court. Playoff teams need functional second units.
Los Angeles has found their closer. Reaves isn’t just filling in until LeBron returns. He’s shown he can be the primary creator, the offensive engine, and the guy who makes the biggest shot of the night. The Lakers came into this season with uncertainty about their future. Reaves is providing answers.
Chris Finch will replay that final possession in his head all week. Up one with 10 seconds left at home. A four time Defensive Player of the Year protecting the rim. The wrong defensive coverage gave away the game. Drop coverage against a team with no lob threats. A tactical error. In a league where playoff positioning comes down to one or two games, errors like that cost teams everything.
