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After Minnesota Timberwolves Stunned Los Angeles Lakers In the game 1 of their first playoffs, which led as many as 27 points on home field in Los Angeles, Anthony Edwards He was asked if he had a message for all national media who had chosen the Lakers to win.
“No message, man,” Edwards said, “they still got the Lakers. The Lakers should win. That’s how we should not be here. So, we just will compete.”
Edwards played Cool, but Timberwolves brought an accent message on Saturday in his 117-95 victory: Don’t sleep on us.
Yes, the Lakers are the third seed and have two biggest superstar in the league in LeBron James and Luka Doncic. But Timberwolves reached the Western Conference finals last season, and although they had several rush this season, they are deep, physically and hungry.
For the Lakers, things quickly disappeared from their hands. Were controlled in the first quarter, and Doncic scored 16 points to bring the Lakers to 28-21, despite James and Austin Reaves Next combined 0-for-5 during this period. It looked like La certainly covered Timberwolves as soon as the floods opened for their other two superstars.
The only problem was James and Reaves the rest of the cold, and Doncic left on the island against the team Timberwolves, who was supposed to light. In the second quarter, Timberwolves surpassed Lakers, 38-20. The barage continued in the third quarter, and Timberwolves passed the half-time with a ride 11-0.
The Lakers didn’t just lose. They were humiliated. Sometimes it seemed like they didn’t even try, and they gestured their frustration, instead of returning to defense.
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The question is now: are the Lakers in trouble?
Obviously, they are not panicked: “We let go of the rope,” said Doncic, who had 37 points and eight rebounds. “I think they just physically won us from the beginning,” said Reaves, who had 16 points in firing 5-Z-13. “We have to do the control of management better,” said James, who had 19 points, though he needed 18 shots to get them.
Fans of Crypto.com Arena, who opened The Night Wild, cheering to celebrate the Lakers, who for the first time since 2020 had the advantage of the domestic terrain in the playoffs, were amazed at the near-Silencing in the second quarter.
Timberwolves flooded the Lakers defense, with teddy bodies and insults, with a 3-point barge, making a franchise playoffs 21 3-pointer on 42 attempts outside the arch (50 percent). Jaden McDaniels scored 25 points. Naz Reid 23 points with six 3-pointer were added. And Edwards had 22 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.
It was a complete team effort for Timberwolves, who kept things in perspective despite the dominant performance.
“That means game 1,” said coach Minnesote Chris Finch. “We know it will be a long series. We are not even under no assumption that it will be this type of game in game 2. It will be a completely different game. We have a lot left. A lot of meat on the bone outside. Many things. I know we can do better.”
Both teams had about a week after they inserted their seeds.
But with the way things took place on Saturday, it seemed as if the Lakers were wrong to calculate that their recent success would enter the postseason, while Timberwolves prepared for war.
To the devil, Timberwolves were even closed on a plane to Los Angeles.
“Four hours when we were here, we talked, we watched the games when (the Lakers) played against OKC, when they played against Dallas,” Edwards said.
All of this succeeded in Timberwolves, who made it clear that they could not be neglected.
As for the Lakers, they hope that the game 1 was only anomaly, unlike the beginning of the end.
Melissa Rohlin is NBA writer for Fox Sports. Earlier covered the league for Sports Illustrated, Los Angeles Times, News Group for Bay Area and San Antonio Express-nws. Follow her on Twitter @Melisarohlin.
Los Angeles Lakers
Minnesota Timberwolves
National Basketball Association
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