Benching a starter midway through a playoff series would be a major decision, but one the Lakers are now facing. Hayes averaged 6.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game during the regular season. Yet his regular season performance has yet to translate in the playoffs, where the Lakers’ lack of true size has been exposed.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have a big opportunity ahead, holding a 2-1 series lead with Game 4 coming at home in their first-round NBA Playoffs series with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The NBA Playoffs continue, and the Los Angeles Lakers are looking to tie this series up and not go down 3-1 when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 Sunday. It’s time to continue our NBA Playoffs odds series with a Lakers-Timberwolves prediction and pick.