Minnesota made a franchise playoff-record 21 three-pointers to beat the Lakers 117-95 and steal home-court advantage in Game 1.
Jaden McDaniels scored 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting, while Naz Reid added 23 off the bench at Crypto.com Arena on 19 April 2025.
Second-quarter surge changes the game
The Timberwolves trailed after the opening quarter but outscored Los Angeles 38-20 in the second to lead 59-48 at half-time.
The margin reached 26 in the third. Reid made six threes, while Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle hit four each as Minnesota finished 21 of 42 from deep.
Edwards added 22 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. The sixth-seeded Wolves had now won 19 of 23 games.
Dončić scores 37 but Lakers lose their rhythm
Luka Dončić scored 16 points in the first quarter and finished with 37 in his first playoff appearance for the Lakers. He added eight rebounds but recorded only one assist.
LeBron James scored 19 in his 18th postseason. Los Angeles cut the deficit to 12 in the fourth quarter before Minnesota pulled away again.
“I’m not sure physically we were ready,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “When they started playing with a lot of thrust and physicality, we just didn’t respond.”
Minnesota refuses to get carried away
Wolves coach Chris Finch treated the record shooting night as only a first step.
“It means Game 1,” Finch said. “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.”
James said the Lakers now understood the level of physicality Minnesota would bring. Dončić agreed that Los Angeles had competed well early before “letting go of the rope” as the game turned.
