Jaden McDaniels had 25 points and nine rebounds, Naz Reid hit six three-pointers, adding 23 points off the bench, and Anthony Edwards scored 22 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves used deadly three-point shooting and swiped home-court advantage in their first-round Western Conference matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers with a 117-95 victory on Saturday.
Game 2 is Tuesday night.
The Timberwolves broke the game open with a 38-point second quarter and added 35 more points in the third, as they led by as many as 27. Minnesota hit 21 of its 42 three-point attempts and shot 51.2% for the game. The 21 3's are a franchise playoff record.
Luka Doncic scored 37 points and LeBron James added 19 for Los Angeles, who had trouble defending the three-point line or slowing Minnesota's running game, which got kick-started off the Lakers' cold shooting, Los Angeles shot 40 percent and its bench was outscored 43-13.
USA TODAY Sports provided updates, scores and highlights from Saturday night's Game 1:
Lakers vs. Timberwolves score:
The Lakers vs. Timberwolves game culminates a packed Saturday NBA schedule, with the Pacers, Nuggets, and Knicks coming out with Game 1 wins. The Lakers are battling the Timberwolves live from Crypto.com Arena.
- Game 1 score: Timberwolves 117, Lakers 95 (Final)
Lakers vs. Timberwolves highlights
Luka Doncic stats:
Here is Luka Doncic's playoff debut as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers by the numbers.
- Points: 37
- Rebounds: 8
- Assists: 2
- FG: 12-22
- 3PT: 5-10
- FT: 8-9
Minnesota opens up big lead with three-point shooting
The Minnesota Timberwolves are using the 3-pointer as their own personal layup line to take a commanding lead in the third quarter. Minnesota is 18-33 from behind the arc, and every Timberwolves player who has entered the game except Rudy Gobert has hit at least one triple.
Minnesota is dominating in the paint and is also using its fast break to its advantage, outscoring the Lakers 23-4 in that category. Anthony Edwards, who has 17 points, went to the locker room with three minutes left in the quarter with an apparent lower leg issue.
Wolves use big second quarter to take halftime lead
Minnesota scored 38 second-quarter points to take control of Game 1. The Wolves shot 49% in the half, while the cold-shooting Lakers could only muster 20 points in the quarter. Luka Doncic led LA with 20 points, LeBron James scored 10, and Rui Hachimura added nine.
Naz Reid came off the bench to hit four 3-pointers and scored 17 points for Minnesota, who outrebounded the Lakers 23-16. Jaden McDaniels had 14 points, and Anthony Edwards had eight.
The Lakers came out hot, shooting 58% in the first quarter, led by Luka Doncic. LeBron James took only two shots in the quarter and didn't score. Minnesota was led by Anthony Edwards, who had six points, and Jaden McDaniels, who scored five points.
What time is Lakers vs. Timberwolves?
The Lakers take on the Timberwolves on Saturday, April 19. The game time has been updated to 8:50 p.m. ET. The game will be on ABC with streaming available on Fubo, which offers a free trial to new users.
How to watch Lakers vs. Timberwolves playoff game: TV, stream
- Time:8:50 p.m. ET/5:50 p.m. PT
- Location:Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California
- TV:ABC
- Stream:Fubo
Watch the NBA on ABC with Fubo
Lakers vs. Timberwolves odds
The Lakers are favored to defeat the Timberwolves in their first-round NBA playoff series, perBetMGModds (as of Saturday, April 19):
- Series winner:Lakers (-200), Timberwolves (+165)
- Game 1 Spread:Lakers (-4.5)
- Game 1 Moneyline:Lakers (-200); Timberwolves (+165)
- Game 1 Over/Under:216.5
Lakers vs. Timberwolves: NBA playoffs picks and predictions
USA TODAY: All four experts pick the Lakers
The USA TODAY staff is in agreement. Here's the experts' picks for the Lakers vs. Timberwolves first-round series:
- Lorenzo Reyes:Lakers in seven
- Heather Tucker:Lakers in five
- James Williams:Lakers in five
- Jeff Zillgitt:Lakers in seven
NBA.com:Lakers in six
Shaun Powell writes: "(Los Angeles) has a glow in coach JJ Redick’s first season and hit another gear once Luka arrived. Suddenly, even the role players — (Rui) Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Dorian Finney-Smith, etc. — are upticking. Of course, success in the postseason will depend on stars, and the Lakers have more than Minnesota. LeBron, above all, still seems springy here in April. Edwards will need to be epic to make this series close."
Sports Illustrated:Lakers in seven
Ryan Stano writes:"Luka Doncic will be able to pull them to a victory in the final game thanks to a huge shooting performance. The Wolves weren't able to contain Doncic last year when he was with the Mavs. That won't change this year, but the Lakers' poor defense will keep the series close."
