Advertisement

The Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Lakers will begin their first-round matchup in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, with a showdown in Tinseltown. Will the Timberwolves draw first blood? Or, will the Lakers get the 1-0 series lead?

Catch this game live on Sunday, April 20, 2025 at 8:30 AM, Manila time

Away: Minnesota Timberwolves (0-0)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Mike Conley
  • Anthony Edwards
  • Jaden McDaniels
  • Julius Randle
  • Rudy Gobert

The Timberwolves are back in the playoffs, and they have done it in the first season of the post-Karl-Anthony Towns era. With Anthony Edwards clearly the face of the franchise, the T’wolves are marching into the season opener against the Lakers looking to sustain the incredible form they had toward the end of the regular season. 

Minnesota won eight of their last nine games, during which they averaged 120.3 points with a 58.0 effective field goal percentage. That stretch included Minnesota’s win against playoff-bound teams Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies. Conversely, the Timberwolves held opponents in that span to just 109.1 points per game on a 53.6 effective field goal percentage.

The Timberwolves are 6-4 against the spread in their last 10 games away from home. They are also 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games overall. 

Advertisement

Home: Los Angeles Lakers (0-0)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Luka Doncic
  • Austin Reaves
  • Rui Hachimura
  • LeBron James 
  • Jaxson Hayes

At 40 years old, LeBron James is still expected to deliver for the Lakers in the playoffs. But so is Luka Doncic, who will be playing in his first playoff game in Los Angeles threads. For what it’s worth, Minnesota was the last team Doncic played against as a Dallas Maverick. And in his first game against the same team as a Laker, Doncic scored 21 points on a salty 6-for-20 shooting from the field (but 8-for-12 from the FT line) in a 111-102 LA win on Feb. 28. 

Meanwhile, James had 33 points and 17 boards in that contest. But the key for the Lakers versus Minnesota could be their defense. They held the Timberwolves to only 43.3 FG% and Edwards to just 19.0 points per game on just 40 FG% and 32.3 3FG%. Los Angeles finished the regular season 10th in the league with 112.2 points allowed per outing and 53.9 eFG%. 

The Lakers have covered the spread in three of their last three meetings with Minnesota.

PICKS

Spread: Minnesota Timberwolves (+4.0)

Over/Under: Under (216.5)

Advertisement