"Willing to go to war": Luka Doncic opens up on Lakers' mindset ahead of NBA playoffs series against Timberwolves

LA Lakers star Luka Doncic shared his team's mindset ahead of the NBA playoffs. The third-seeded Los Angeles will face the sixth-seeded Minnesota in Game 1 on Saturday.

Despite their struggles, the Lakers (50-32) secured the third spot. The first round remains uncertain as the Timberwolves - just one win behind at 49-33 - are not favorites in the series either.

The Lakers-Timberwolves series could be a challenging yet entertaining battle and Doncic and his squad appear mentally prepared.

"I think we have a great team. We have guys who are willing to go to war," Doncic said. "Everybody is staying together, the chemistry is high. So I think we for sure have a chance."

The playoff race in the West was tight until the last set of games. The Lakers were in a three-way tie with the Denver Nuggets and LA Clippers at 50-32 and ended up the third, fourth and fifth seeds, respectively.

Despite a marginally worse record, the Timberwolves are entering the postseason with a bit more momentum. They won eight of their last ten games while the Purple and Gold only went 6-4.

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Dorian Finney-Smith shares what it's like to play with LeBron James and Luka Doncic

Players such as Dorian Finney-Smith - not known for creating offense - benefit from playing alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

Both James and Doncic attract so much attention from opposing defenses due to their scoring. However, teams can't send multiple defenders against them as they could use their vision to locate whoever is open.

More than being able to deliver the rock to the open man, though, Luka Doncic and King James are also able to set up the offense as a floor general. Finney-Smith shared that the basketball IQ of these two superstars can orchestrate things on the fly.

"Sometimes in the game, they're quarterbacking," Finney-Smith told the media. "They're not even talking to JJ (Redick). They're just getting us in sets and the right spots on the court. It's been amazing playing with those two."

Luka Doncic and Dorian Finney-Smith - now teammates in LA - were previously on the same roster at the Dallas Mavericks. Finney-Smith - who joined in 2016-17 after going undrafted - played together with Doncic (drafted in 2018) until his 2023 departure in exchange for Kyrie Irving.

In December 2024, Dorian Finney-Smith was traded from the Nets to the Lakers for D'Angelo Russell and would reunite with Luka Doncic in Los Angeles in February.

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Luka Doncic helped the Lakers secure a victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves this season

The LA Lakers faced the Minnesota Timberwolves four times during the regular season. The first three of these games happened while Luka Doncic was still with the Dallas Mavericks. LA won the first one 110-103, but then lost the next two (80-109 and 87-97).

The Lakers forced the season series into a tie and it happened with Doncic's help. That game was on Feb. 27 and the Slovenian star logged a 21-point and 13-rebound double-double. His contributions helped guide LA to a 111-102 win.