Naz Reid emerged as the unlikely hero in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ dominant 117-95 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of their playoff series.
Coming off the bench, Reid delivered a stellar performance with 23 points. That was including six three-pointers on nine attempts, in 30 minutes of action.
Naz Reid sustained elbow to the eye
After the game, Naz Reid revealed the surprising source of motivation behind his breakout playoff performance.
That was an elbow from Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt that seemed to ignite his competitive fire rather than derail his game.
“He hit me in my eye, I was hurt for a second, came back in, hit a 3. It’s not easy to take me out of the game,” Reid explained during his post-game press conference
He describing the early fourth-quarter incident that temporarily left him on the floor covering his face in pain. But rather than being diminished by the physical play, Reid responded in spectacular fashion.
Not only did he return to action quickly, but he immediately connected on a momentum-shifting three-pointer and continued to make key contributions throughout the crucial final minutes of the contest.
The underdog mentality fueling Minnesota’s upset bid
Reid acknowledged the significance of stealing Game 1 on the road against the heavily favored Lakers, who entered the series as the third seed facing Minnesota’s sixth-seeded squad.
The reserve big man pointed to the Timberwolves’ hunger as the difference-maker in the series opener.
“I know we wanted it more tonight. That’s kind of how it has to be, especially when you’re the underdog,” Reid admitted.
It was Lakers who got hurt by physicality
What made Minnesota’s victory particularly impressive was how they handled the pressure of the playoff stage while implementing their physically imposing game plan.
Reid specifically noted that the Timberwolves’ decision to match and exceed the Lakers’ physicality proved devastatingly effective.
The strategy clearly worked, as Minnesota not only contained the Lakers’ stars but also established dominance on both ends of the floor, leaving Los Angeles searching for answers heading into Game 2.
“Going out there and compete at a high level and prove we can play this brand of basketball at this high stage, it’s huge for all of us,” Reid concluded.
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