Despite seeing the return of point guard Rajon Rondo, the Los Angeles Lakers dropped their third consecutive game with a 120-105 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The latest defeat further sunk the Lakers in the Western Conference standings, as they now trail the No. 8 seed Clippers by two games.
With more than half of the regular season in the books, Kyle Kuzma stressed the importance of the Lakers having a sense of urgency moving forward. “At the end of the day, every game is a must-win,” he said.
“We’re fighting to be in the playoffs, fighting for seeding, and the season is ticking down. We’ve got less than 40 games right now. Everything has to be serious right now. Every game matters, every possession, every second.”
With LeBron James still on the mend without much clarity of when he’ll return, and Lonzo Ball due to miss at least one month, the Lakers are about to enter one of their toughest stretches all season.
After Sunday’s home game against the Phoenix Suns, the team will take on the Philadelphia 76ers, Clippers and Golden State Warriors in consecutive contests.
In the absence of James, Kuzma has emerged as the Lakers’ go-to scoring option. He struggled against the Timberwolves, however, tallying just 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting from the field.
Kuzma revealed after the game that he has been suffering from a hip strain that has affected his overall play, acknowledging the injury first took place in last week’s contest against the Houston Rockets.
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