After the Minnesota Timberwolves shocked the Los Angeles Lakers in Recreation 1 of their first-round playoff collection, main by as a lot as 27 factors on Los Angeles’ residence courtroom, Anthony Edwards was requested if he had a message for the entire nationwide media that picked the Lakers to win.
“No message, man,” Edwards stated, “They nonetheless received the Lakers. The Lakers are alleged to win. That is simply the way it’s alleged to go. We’re not alleged to be right here. So, we’re simply going to compete.”
Edwards performed it cool, however the Timberwolves delivered an emphatic message of their 117-95 win on Saturday: Do not sleep on us.
Sure, the Lakers are the third seed and have two of the most important superstars within the league in LeBron James and Luka Doncic. However the Timberwolves made it to the Western Convention Finals final season, and, although they’ve had some bumps this season, they’re deep, bodily and hungry.
For the Lakers, issues received out of hand shortly. They have been in management within the first quarter, with Doncic scoring 16 factors to provide the Lakers a 28-21 lead, regardless of James and Austin Reaves going a mixed 0-for-5 over that interval. It appeared as if LA was certainly going to clobber the Timberwolves as quickly because the floodgates opened for its different two superstars.
The one downside was James and Reaves remained chilly, leaving Doncic on an island towards a Timberwolves group that was about to catch hearth. Within the second quarter, the Timberwolves outscored the Lakers, 38-20. The barrage continued within the third quarter, with the Timberwolves storming out of halftime with an 11-0 run.
The Lakers did not simply lose. They have been humiliated. At occasions, it appeared as if they weren’t even attempting, with them gesticulating their frustration as a substitute of working again on protection.
The query now’s: Are the Lakers in bother?
They’re clearly not panicking: “We let go of the rope,” stated Doncic, who had 37 factors and eight rebounds. “I feel that they only bodily beat us from the get-go,” stated Reaves, who had 16 factors on 5-for-13 taking pictures. “We gotta do a greater job of controlling the controllables,” stated James, who had 19 factors, although it took him 18 pictures to get them.
The followers at Crypto.com Enviornment, who opened the night time wildly cheering in celebration of the Lakers having residence courtroom benefit within the playoffs for the primary time since 2020, have been shocked into near-silence within the second quarter.
The Timberwolves overwhelmed the Lakers – on protection, with swarming our bodies, and on offense, with a 3-point barrage, making a franchise playoff-record 21 3-pointers on 42 makes an attempt from past the arc (50 p.c). Jaden McDaniels scored 25 factors. Naz Reid added 23 factors with six 3-pointers. And Edwards had 22 factors, 9 assists and eight rebounds.
It was an entire group effort for the Timberwolves, who saved issues in perspective regardless of their dominant efficiency.
“It means Recreation 1,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch stated. “We all know it will be a protracted collection. We’re not below any assumption that it will be such a recreation in Recreation 2. It will be a very totally different recreation. We received rather a lot left. Numerous meat on the bone on the market. Numerous issues. I do know we will do higher.”
Each groups had a couple of week off after clinching their respective seeds.
However with the best way issues performed out Saturday, it appeared as if the Lakers miscalculated that their current success would carry into the postseason, whereas the Timberwolves ready for conflict.
Heck, the Timberwolves have been even locked in on their aircraft trip to Los Angeles.
“The 4 hours that we was on our manner right here, we talked, we watched video games when [the Lakers] performed towards OKC, once they performed towards Dallas,” Edwards stated.
All of it labored out for the Timberwolves, who made it clear they can not be missed.
As for the Lakers, they’re hoping Recreation 1 was simply an anomaly, versus the start of the tip.
Melissa Rohlin is an NBA author for FOX Sports activities. She beforehand lined the league for Sports activities Illustrated, the Los Angeles Occasions, the Bay Space Information Group and the San Antonio Specific-Information. Comply with her on Twitter @melissarohlin.
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