Doncic, Lakers Fall to Timberwolves in Game 1 of Playoffs
The Timberwolves hit 50% from beyond the arc to hand a crushing defeat to the No. 3 seed Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series
Jaden McDaniels led the charge with 25 points and nine rebounds, while Anthony Edwards added 22 points, eight boards, and nine assists as the Minnesota Timberwolves cruised to a 117–95 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series.
Naz Reid contributed 23 points and Julius Randle chipped in 16, helping the No. 6 seed Timberwolves remain perfect in first-round playoff games over the past two seasons, now 5-0. Minnesota shot an impressive 51.2% from the field and drained 21 of 42 attempts from beyond the arc continuing the momentum from their strong 17–4 finish to the regular season.
“It was just about playing with confidence,” McDaniels said during an interview on ABC. “All my teammates trust me. [Edwards] always tells me, ‘Shoot the ball no matter what—miss or make.’ And that’s what I did tonight.”
Despite a nearly flawless performance, Minnesota had a brief scare when Edwards exited late in the third quarter with a leg injury. He returned early in the fourth. Reid also left the game in the final period after taking an accidental elbow from Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt.
Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 37 points and eight rebounds, while LeBron James added 19. Austin Reaves scored 16 after a slow start, but the Lakers struggled to find rhythm—shooting just 39.8% from the field. The lack of energy was evident, especially after the team’s late-season trade for Doncic from Dallas.
The Timberwolves dominated in transition, outscoring L.A. 25–6 on fast-break points and 43–13 in bench scoring.
The Lakers jumped out to a 28–21 lead in the first quarter, but the Timberwolves roared back with a 38-point second quarter to lead 59–48 at the half. A 30-foot buzzer-beater from Donte DiVincenzo capped the first half, and Minnesota opened the third quarter with an 11–0 run to blow the game wide open.
Game 2 is set for Tuesday in Los Angeles.
In other Game 1 action on Saturday, the Indiana Pacers topped the Milwaukee Bucks 117–98, the New York Knicks beat the Detroit Pistons 123–112, and the Denver Nuggets edged the Los Angeles Clippers 112–110 in an overtime thriller.
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