Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers Pick & Prediction APRIL 19th 2025
Preview and Prediction
The regular season series appears to suggest that the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves are evenly matched as they head into their first-round playoff series. However, the reality is quite different. The teams will face off in Game 1 at Los Angeles on Saturday, having split their four games against each other during the regular season. It is worth noting, however, that three of those games took place before the Lakers acquired Luka Doncic on February 2nd.
On February 27th, the Lakers secured a 111-102 victory over the Timberwolves at home, with Doncic contributing 21 points and 13 rebounds, while LeBron James recorded 33 points and 17 rebounds. However, at the time, Minnesota was without Julius Randle, and his addition to the team adds an extra layer of intrigue to this playoff series. The No. 3-seed Lakers have the home-court advantage over the No. 6-seed Wolves.
After Doncic joined the team, the Lakers (50-32) went 19-13, while the Wolves (49-33) went 17-4 to close out the season. This gives the Wolves a slight edge as they head into the series. Minnesota star Anthony Edwards expressed his excitement about being considered the underdog, saying, "I just love it. It's dope. I love the fact that everybody wants the Lakers to win. That's how it's supposed to be. They don't want the Timberwolves to win. I get it."
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Edwards led the team with an average of 27.6 points per game this season, along with 5.7 rebounds. The Wolves had a rocky start, going 22-21 through January 20th. However, they found their rhythm and went 27-12 for the rest of the season after acquiring Randle from the New York Knicks for Karl-Anthony Towns. Randle averaged 18.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and a team-best 4.7 assists on the season. His return from a groin strain coincided with the Wolves' impressive 17-4 stretch to close out the season.
The Lakers had to wait for Doncic to recover from a calf strain before he could make his debut with the team. Despite initial concerns about the team's defense, they have been solid in all areas. In 28 games with the Lakers, Doncic averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists, which were similar to his numbers with the Mavericks earlier in the season (28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists in 22 games).
Doncic, who led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals last season, said, "I like big games. Playoffs (are) a fun time. Everybody plays 100 percent. It's just fun to be out there." With the trade of big man Anthony Davis to the Mavericks for Doncic, Jaxson Hayes has stepped up inside. While he may not be at Davis' All-Star level, Hayes has held his own defensively and has averaged 8.1 points and 5.3 rebounds since Doncic joined the team, slightly higher than his season averages.
At 40 years old, James is still the player that drives the Lakers. In his 22nd NBA season, he averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists, playing in 70 of the team's 82 games. "We have a great team," Doncic said this week. "We have guys that are willing to go to war. Everybody's staying together. The chemistry is high. We do for sure have a chance (to win the title)."
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers Recap APR 19TH 2025
Rudy Gobert scored 27 points and grabbed 24 rebounds as the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves advanced to the Western Conference semifinals with a 103-96 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 on Wednesday.
Julius Randle put up 23 points as the sixth-seeded Timberwolves finished off a 4-1 first-round series win over the third-seeded Lakers.
The rebound total for Gobert was a Timberwolves postseason record and his personal career playoff high.
Minnesota's Anthony Edwards was limited to 15 points while Donte DiVincenzo added nine on an off night for both players. Edwards shot 0-for-11 from 3-point range and DiVincenzo was 2-for-12.
The Timberwolves had a 54-37 rebounding advantage while advancing out of the first round for the second consecutive season after not getting that far over the previous 19 seasons. They will face either the Houston Rockets or the Golden State Warriors in the next round.
Luka Doncic put up 28 points and LeBron James added 22 for the Lakers as the NBA's newest dynamic duo saw its season come to an end. Doncic, who also had nine assists and seven rebounds, was limited in the second half after sustaining a back injury following a hard foul by DiVincenzo with 1:01 remaining before halftime.
Rui Hachimura scored 23 points and Austin Reaves had 12 for Los Angeles, which went 20-17, including playoff games, after Doncic made his debut with the team on Feb. 10 following a trade from the Dallas Mavericks.
The Lakers, who trailed by 14 in the first half, got within two on a James 3-pointer with 3:08 left in the game. Randle then hit a layup and Edwards added an inside hoop to give the Timberwolves a 97-91 lead with 2:22 to go.
Hachimura got the Lakers within three on a 3-pointer with 1:42 remaining, but Mike Conley answered with a 3-pointer for Minnesota for a 100-94 lead with 1:22 left. The shot ended an 0-for-18 dry spell for the Timberwolves from long range. Minnesota won despite shooting 7 of 47 (14.9 percent) from beyond the arc.
With a chance to advance, Minnesota got off to a fast start to lead 29-15 in the first quarter en route to a 59-49 edge at halftime.
With a hobbled Doncic, Los Angeles made a charge in the third quarter, taking its first lead of the game at 78-77 on a Dorian Finney-Smith 3-pointer with 2:38 remaining in the period. Minnesota went into the fourth quarter with an 81-80 advantage.