After getting absolutely wrecked in Game 1, the Los Angeles Lakers will look to hit back at the Minnesota Timberwolves and tie the series up. But that is going to be easier said than done for the Lakers, especially if Anthony Edwards and company show up with another hot shooting performance just like they did in the series opener. Will the Lakers level the series at 1-1? Or, will the Timberwolves dig Los Angeles a deeper hole with a win before heading home for Games 3 and 4?

Catch this game live on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 at 10:00 AM, Manila time

Away: Minnesota Timberwolves (1-0)

Projected Starting Five:

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

The Timberwolves mopped the floor of Crypto.com Arena using the Lakers last Sunday, with Anthony Edwards smoking the host team in a decisive 117-95 victory. Minnesota shot the ball in Game 1 as though the basket’s diameter was the wingspan of Rudy Gobert. The Timberwolves hit 21 of 42 attempts from deep for a 50 percent success rate on 3-point shots.

 It wasn’t even Edwards or Julius Randle who hurt the Lakers the most in that contest, as Jaden McDaniels led Minnesota with 25 points. Still, Edwards and Randle combined for 38 points and eight 3-pointers. The Timberwolves pounced on Los Angeles’ leaky defense, and even if Minnesota’s outside shooting doesn’t click this Wednesday, Edwards and company believe they can punish LA inside after outsourcing the Lakers in the paint in Game 1, 44-32.

The Timberwolves are 4-2 against the spread in their last six games overall. 

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Home: Los Angeles Lakers (0-1)

Projected Starting Five:

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

The Lakers have to be embarrassed by the way they played in Game 1, particularly on the defensive side of the floor. As mentioned, the Timberwolves carved up LA from deep. Los Angeles let Minnesota shoot 27 3-point attempts classified as wide-open attempts. 

That was just a lack of effort and poor communication on the part of the Lakers. The good news for them is that that’s an issue that can be solved. Plus, the gods of regression could be on the Lakers’ side this time, as what the Timberwolves showed in Game 1 was something hard to sustain. Moreover, Luka Doncic’s playoff debut in Lakers threads was encouraging for the team. Doncic scored 37 points with eight rebounds while shooting 12-for-22 from the floor and 5-for-10 from 3-point range in the series opener.

The Lakers are 6-4 against the spread in their last 10 games as the home team.

Picks

Spread: Los Angeles Lakers (-5.5)

Over/Under: Under (210.5)

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