"It’s not Laker business"- Darvin Ham says his team is unfazed by Wolves drama as they prepare for crucial matchup

The LA Lakers are set to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the seventh-place versus eighth-place play-in matchup on Tuesday night. The winner will secure the seventh seed and a chance to take on the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs.

The Lakers caught a break on Monday with the news that Timberwolves star center Rudy Gobert will be suspended for the pivotal game. This comes after Gobert threw a punch at his teammate Kyle Anderson on the sidelines during Sunday’s matchup against New Orleans. However, Lakers coach Darvin Ham stressed that LA is unfazed by the news of Gobert’s suspension.

During LA’s team practice on Monday, Ham explained that Gobert's situation is not a distraction for his team as it is not the Lakers’ business. He added that the Lakers are locked in on trying to be the best team they can be:

“I don’t think it’s a distraction,” Ham said.

“It’s not Laker business and we’re all focused on Lakers business. It’s an unfortunate situation, but I really don’t have an opinion on it.

“We’re just focused on trying to be the best version of ourselves and what we got to do. It’s not about who we’re playing, it’s about how we play and putting our best foot forward.”

Outside of missing Rudy Gobert, the Wolves will also be without starting forward Jaden McDaniels. This comes as McDaniels is out indefinitely after fracturing his right hand while punching a wall during Sunday’s game against New Orleans. McDaniels did so after getting into foul trouble early in the game.

Darvin Ham on Lakers’ game plan against Minnesota

LA Lakers coach Darvin Ham

Later on in his interview, Darvin Ham was asked if LA’s game plan for Tuesday night has changed in any way with Minnesota being shorthanded. However, he reiterated that the Lakers just need to focus on themselves and play with energy and urgency for 48 minutes:

“It’s all about us,” Ham said.

“I repeat, it’s not Laker business. It’s an unfortunate situation, but we got to prepare for us to be the best version of ourselves and make sure we come out right with the right energy and the right urgency, the right effort and be the most competitive, together team for 48 minutes.”

Despite being shorthanded, Minnesota still has star power in Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, plus a cast of quality role players. The Wolves could still prove to be a formidable opponent for LA. However, it looks like the Lakers will be prepared for whatever Minnesota throws at them.