ll season long, the 2025 NBA playoffs Conference standings were in constant flux, and Saturday’s games hinted at what should be some dramatic first-round matchups. The No. 4 seed Denver Nuggets rallied to an overtime win over the 5-seed LA Clippers to take Game 1, thanks to some late-game heroics by Russell Westbrook. In the late game, the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves pounced on the No. 3 seed Los Angeles Lakers as Anthony Edwards got the best of LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
Sunday’s matchups will see MVP front-runner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder welcome Ja Morant and the 8-seed Memphis Grizzlies. Following that game, the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets — one of the season’s most improved teams — will begin their clash with Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III and the No. 7 seed Golden State Warriors.
The Lakers organization geared up for Game 1 by distributing a hype video with their postseason motto “Unleash Joy.” The video, in the Lakers’ words, was meant to tip off their “2025 Playoff Run.” The anticipation for a deep playoff push was understandable, considering how well L.A. played after trading for Luka2025 NBA playoffs and securing the No. 3 seed in the West.
2025 NBA playoffs And the way Saturday started, with Doncic personally outscoring Minnesota with 14 points as L.A. went up 20-12 early in the first, that story was seemingly going to plan. But nobody in L.A.’s marketing department considered that the Wolves, who lost to Doncic in the conference finals a year ago, would become the main characters 2025 NBA playoffs.
“We know not many people are picking us,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said pregame. “I think our guys have leaned into that a little bit.”
After Doncic’s initial flourish, the Wolves took control in the second and third quarters, leading by as many as 27 points as they owned the boards (44-38) and spread out the Lakers’ defense by making the extra pass to open shooters (hitting a franchise postseason record 21-of-42 from 3). The run-up to this series focused on Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves on one side and Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle on the other. However, Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid combined for 48 points on 19-for-25 shooting to completely outperform L.A.’s role players and put the Wolves in the driver’s seat.
Lakers starting center Jaxson Hayes played only eight minutes, with coach JJ Redick opting for Jarred Vanderbilt at the 5 and using his activity (and some of his extracurricular efforts to get under the Wolves players’ skin) to try to make a dent in the monstrous deficit, getting as close as 12. Redick will have a decision to make regarding whether he will want to give Hayes a second look — that starting group was 10-3 in the regular season — or make his first chess move of the series going small from the start, ceding the size disadvantage.
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