In terms of style, the Lakers-Timberwolves set-to the other day was ridiculously lacking. The big picture was muddled by the high number of missed open shots, flubbed assignments, unforced turnovers, and poor decision making that turned it into a needlessly protracted slugfest. Even as the outcome had to be settled in overtime, the manner in which the protagonists battled for the right to play the Grizzlies as the seventh seed in the first round of the playoffs was hardly the stuff of highlight reels.
That said, there can be no doubting the level of effort put forth by every single player who stepped on the court. To a man, they left nothing in the tank. For instance, nineteen-time All-Star LeBron James, at 38 by far the oldest player who saw action, burned rubber for 45 minutes to pace the proceedings — in scoring and leadership, but likewise in fouls, turnovers, and negative rating. And, somehow, in the grand scheme of things, the seeming dichotomy made sense. The Lakers and Timberwolves gave everything they had in trying to carve a path to victory.
To be sure, the play-in contest was as much a battle for triumph as for survival. Regardless of the journey, the destination remains the same: A win is a win, and one gained by determination proves to be no less sweet than another claimed by talent. Which is not to say National Basketball Association-level skills were not on display. If anything, the fact that the Lakers and Timberwolves combined to miss a whopping 101 of 175 field goal attempts served to make the sterling moments stand out even more.
So, yes, the show was still spectacular. And, yes, the final score remained reflective of the exertions of the Lakers and Timberwolves. Perhaps it was only proper for the game to wind up the way it did. To quote from Charles Darwin’s A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” All in one match. Imagine that.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
