On Friday, the Lakers and Timberwolves will meet for the second time this season.
The first meeting, which came on Nov. 12, was a no-contest as Minnesota used a 40-12 third quarter to secure a 24-point (107-83) victory. However, things have changed since then.
Coming into this game, the Lakers have a much-improved defense that ranks 11th in the league. It's fueled their second three-game winning streak of the season.
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The Lakers will have their hands full with four players currently sidelined in the league's health and safety protocols in Talen Horton-Tucker, Dwight Howard, Russell Westbrook and Avery Bradley.
The Lakers are still in good shape with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the roster, but the Timberwolves have been far more competitive this year than in past seasons. Their 13-15 record is the franchise's best 28-game start since the 2018-19 season.
It would be safe to expect a hard-fought battle on Friday night.
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Sophomore Anthony Edwards has been making the most headlines this season, whether it's exploding for a career-high 48 points against the Warriors in early November, stuffing the stat sheet in Jimmy Butler's return to Minnesota or knocking down a career-high and franchise-record 10 3-pointers in the blowout win against the Nuggets.
What channel is Lakers vs. Timberwolves on?
- Channel: ESPN
- Live stream: Watch ESPN | fuboTV
What time does Lakers vs. Timberwolves start?
- Date: Friday, Dec. 17
- Time: 10:00 p.m. ET | 7:00 p.m. PT
Lakers vs. Timberwolves is scheduled to start at 10:00 p.m. ET on Friday, Dec. 17. The game will be played at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
Lakers upcoming schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time | National TV |
| Dec. 17 | at Timberwolves | 10:00 p.m | ESPN |
| Dec. 19 | at Bulls | 8:00 p.m | - |
| Dec. 21 | vs. Suns | 10:00 p.m | TNT |
| Dec. 23 | vs. Spurs | 10:30 p.m | |
| Dec. 25 | vs. Nets | 8:00 p.m | ABC, ESPN |
(All Times Eastern)
Timberwolves upcoming schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time | National TV |
| Dec. 17 | vs. Lakers | 10:00 p.m | ESPN |
| Dec. 19 | vs. Mavericks | 8:00 p.m | - |
| Dec. 21 | at Mavericks | 8:30 p.m | - |
| Dec. 23 | at Jazz | 9:00 p.m | - |
| Dec. 27 | vs. Celtics | 8:00 p.m | - |
(All Times Eastern)
NBA schedule for 2021-22
After a truncated season in 2020-21, the NBA has returned to its standard 82-game format for the 2021-22 campaign, which is the league's 75th anniversary season.
Here are some key dates for the 2021-22 NBA season:
- Trade Deadline: Feb. 10
- NBA All-Star 2022: Feb. 18-20
- Regular season concludes: April 10
- Play-In Tournament: April 12-15
- Playoffs begin: April 16
- NBA Finals begin: June 2
- 2022 NBA Draft: June 23
