NBA: Lakers catch Wolves in standings thanks to Luka Doncic's triple-double

Luka Doncic led the Los Angeles Lakers with a 31-point triple-double as they defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-106, pulling even in the Western Conference standings. Austin Reaves added 31 points and Deandre Ayton posted a double-double to fuel Los Angeles’ sixth win in seven games.

FIELD LEVEL MEDIA / Reuters

March 11, 2026

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) drives past Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kyle Anderson (12) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California on March 10, 2026.

Gary A. Vasquez / Reuters

Luka Doncic posted a triple-double with 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves 120-106 on Tuesday in a key Western Conference matchup.

Austin Reaves also scored 31 points, while Deandre Ayton added 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers. The win pulled Los Angeles level with Minnesota, with both teams holding 40-25 records. Thanks to a season sweep of the Timberwolves, the Lakers hold the tiebreaker for fourth place in the West.

Los Angeles shot 48.4% from the field and improved to six wins in their last seven games. The Lakers have won three straight games without LeBron James, who is sidelined with hip and foot issues.

For Minnesota, Anthony Edwards scored 14 points but struggled from the field, shooting 2-of-15 overall and 1-of-10 from beyond the arc. Julius Randle also had 14 points, while Naz Reid and Ayo Dosunmu contributed 13 each. The Timberwolves dropped their second consecutive game after a five-game winning streak. Minnesota shot 46.2% from the floor in the opener of a four-game road trip that wraps up Sunday at Oklahoma City.

The Lakers seized control in the third quarter, outscoring Minnesota 39-23 to take an 84-68 lead. The Timberwolves did not make a field goal in the third until Reid sank a floater with 5:58 left in the period. Reaves scored 16 points and Doncic added 14 during the quarter, including a 13-4 run that gave Los Angeles a 67-54 advantage.

Tensions flared late in the game, and a Donte DiVincenzo dunk pulled Minnesota within 99-84 with 7:08 remaining. However, consecutive 3-pointers by Marcus Smart and Doncic extended the Lakers’ lead to 105-84 with 6:30 left.

The Lakers started slowly, scoring just 16 points on 28.0% shooting in the first quarter, but pulled even at 45-45 by halftime. Randle scored 12 points for Minnesota in the first half, while Edwards managed only three points on 1-of-10 shooting. Ayton contributed 12 points and 11 rebounds at the break, while Doncic added 12 points, marking his seventh triple-double of the season.

– Field Level Media/Reuters