LOS ANGELES — The Minnesota Timberwolves displayed an impressive level of skill and unity that effectively dampened Luka Doncic’s introduction to the playoffs with the Lakers, resulting in a decisive win for the visitors.
Jaden McDaniels led with 25 points, while Naz Reid contributed with 23 points, highlighted by six 3-pointers. These efforts helped the Timberwolves secure a 117-95 triumph, despite Doncic’s 37-point performance on Saturday night.
Anthony Edwards also played a significant role, scoring 22 points alongside nine assists and eight rebounds in this first opening round of the series for the sixth-seeded Timberwolves, who have now claimed victory in 18 of their last 22 matchups.
“We have a really strong group,” Edwards stated. “The cohesion wasn’t instantaneous, but we knew this since training camp. It required some time for us to gel as a new team, to truly understand one another’s play styles. Now, it seems like we’re in perfect sync.”
Despite Doncic’s initial 16-point surge amid the exuberant LA crowd, the Timberwolves took charge in the game’s dynamic with a dominant 38-20 run during the second quarter.
The team continued their on-court offensive after the break. Both Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards managed to sink four 3-pointers each, contributing to the Timberwolves hitting a franchise playoff record with 21 successful 3-pointers out of 42 attempts — many uncontested.
“We’ll take it one game at a time,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch explained. “We understand it’s going to be a lengthy series. Tonight might have set a tone, but each game will vary. We see room for improvement. There are several areas where we can still enhance our performance.”
Starting his 18th NBA postseason, LeBron James scored 19 points; however, he and the Lakers struggled against the Timberwolves’ strong shooting and seasoned poise.
“This Minnesota squad brings physicality,” commented James. “It just took us one game to recognize that. They seized the home-court advantage this evening, yet if we focus on elements under our control, we can substantially improve our chances in the next game.”
While Los Angeles continues to find its rhythm after integrating Doncic two months back, Minnesota is motivated to exceed their previous season’s journey to the Western Conference finals.
The next game in this exhilarating best-of-seven face-off is set for Tuesday night in Los Angeles.
In light of the Dallas Mavericks’ end in the Play-In Tournament, Doncic delivered the 11th-highest scoring playoff game of his professional journey — although it wasn’t sufficient to outshine the exceptional collaborative effort from the Timberwolves.
“In the first quarter, we truly played our brand of basketball,” Doncic reflected. “We were committed, displaying physicality. Then, we sort of lost our grip. Our physical game needs reinforcement moving forward.”