Timberwolves rout Lakers 117-95 in 1st-round series opener, overcoming Luka Doncic’s 37 points

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anthony Edwards was by no means shocked when the Minnesota Timberwolves confirmed sufficient expertise and togetherness to show Luka Doncic’s playoff debut with the Lakers right into a rout for the guests.

Jaden McDaniels scored 25 factors, Naz Reid added 23 with six 3-pointers, and the Timberwolves overcame Doncic’s 37-point effort for a 117-95 victory Saturday night time.

Edwards had 22 factors, 9 assists and eight rebounds within the first-round sequence opener for the sixth-seeded Wolves, who’ve gained 18 of their final 22 video games.

“I got a great group of guys,” Edwards mentioned. “But it wasn’t tonight. I learned that in training camp. It just takes a minute for us to gel as a new team. It just took a minute for us to figure each other out, and I feel like now we just go.”

The Timberwolves weathered Doncic’s 16-point first quarter in entrance of a roaring LA crowd earlier than taking management with a 38-20 second quarter.

They poured it on after halftime, too. Julius Randle and Edwards hit 4 3-pointers apiece because the Timberwolves made a franchise playoff-record 21 3-pointers on 42 makes an attempt — with a lot of these photographs taken with no defender in sight.

“It means Game 1,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch mentioned. “We know it’s going to be a long series. We’re not under any assumption that it’s going to be this type of game in Game 2. It’ll be a completely different game. We got a lot left. A lot of meat on the bone out there. A lot of things. I know we can do better.”

LeBron James had 19 factors to start his 18th NBA postseason, however the third-seeded Lakers have been overwhelmed by the Wolves’ shot-making and playoff poise.

“This Minnesota team, they’re going to be physical,” James mentioned. “That’s what they bring to the table. It took us one game … (to) understand that. They took homecourt advantage from us tonight, but we have to control the controllables, and if we do that, we’ll have a much better chance to win than we did tonight.”

Whereas Los Angeles is nonetheless trying to find chemistry after buying Doncic two months in the past, Minnesota is keen to enhance on final season’s run to the Western Convention finals.

Sport 2 within the best-of-seven sequence is Tuesday night time in Los Angeles.

Someday after the Dallas Mavericks’ season ended within the Play-In Match, Doncic produced the Eleventh-highest scoring playoff recreation of his profession — and it wasn’t almost sufficient, due to the Timberwolves’ prolific workforce effort.

“I think the first quarter, we played the way we play,” Doncic mentioned. “I think we played physical. Everyone was locked in, and then we just kind of let go of the rope. So we’ve got to be way more physical.”

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