The previous time the Lakers suffered a significant home loss, Anthony Davis had to exit the court after only one quarter when he was Һit in the left eye, leading to the Lakers’ defeat against Golden State on March 16.

In that game, the Lakers managed to make a comeback thanks to LeBron James’ 40-point performance, providing a safety net in case Davis encountered any ιnjury issues.

However, on Sunday, with the Lakers figҺting for every inch in the Western Conference standings, James was absent. He was at home dealing with flu-like symptoms as the Lakers embarked on their final week of the season. Similar to what happened against the Warriors, Davis once again took a blоw to the face and had to leave the game, this time getting struck in the eye by Kyle Anderson’s forearm during a putback.

Davis played out the quarter, went to the locker room, and did not return. The team officially ruled him out just before the start of the third quarter.

Without their two superstars, the Lakers were unable to conjure up the magic they displayed earlier this year in Boston. Instead, in a 127-117 loss to the Timberwolves, the Lakers lacked size, were easily overpowered, and were too shorthanded to sustain their positive momentum. Davis, who left the arena before the game concluded, is expected to have a good chance of playing against the Warriors on Tuesday, according to a knowledgeable source who is not authorized to speak publicly about the situation.

While Davis was being evaluated throughout the second quarter, the Timberwolves scored 46 points, completely turning the tide in a game that the Lakers had previously held a slight advantage in.

The Lakers mounted a comeback in the third quarter, closing the gap to five points with Jaxson Hayes attacking the rim. However, Anthony Edwards sealed the victory for the Timberwolves as the Lakers’ attempt to rally fizzled out early in the fourth quarter when the Timberwolves capitalized on the Lakers’ smaller lineups. The Lakers were left with only one healthy center option as Davis, Christian Wood, and James were unavailable. Rui Hachimura led the Lakers with 30 points and six rebounds, while Hayes finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Spencer Dinwiddie (18), D’Angelo Russell (15), and Austin Reaves (14) rounded out the Lakers’ double-digit scorers.

For the Timberwolves (54-24), Naz Reid recorded 31 points and 11 rebounds, and Edwards contributed 26 points and eight assists. Rudy Gobert added 18 points and 16 rebounds.

With this loss, the Lakers (45-34) fell half a game behind Sacramento for the 8th seed in the Western Conference. The Lakers briefly held the 8th spot after defeating the Cavaliers on Saturday. According to the NBA play-in tournament rules, the winner of the 7th/8th game advances directly to the playoffs, while the loser gets another chance against the winner of the 9th/10th game. The loser of the 9th/10th game is immediately eliminated.

And as Sunday’s game demonstrated, even the smallest incident can alter the course of the night. One inadvertent swing, one blоw to the face, and the night can be over.

Fortunately for the Lakers, there is still time.