Timberwolves Light Up Lakers With Historic Three-Point Barrage in NBA Playoff Opener

Timberwolves Silence Staples with Three-Point Record

The Timberwolves came to Los Angeles and sent a message so loud you could almost feel it vibrating off the hardwood. They didn’t just beat the Lakers in Game 1—they dismantled them with a storm of threes and relentless energy, taking the opener 117-95 and snatching home-court advantage in the best way possible. Let’s be real: fans expected a dogfight. Instead, they got Minnesota in total control, led by a hungry Anthony Edwards and a bench ready to punish every misstep from L.A.

Edwards, who’s made a habit out of showing up under the brightest lights, dropped 27 points with his signature fearless drives and deep shooting. He was everywhere—scoring, creating, setting the tone on defense. You’d expect the Lakers to double him, maybe force someone else to beat them. But Naz Reid was more than willing to answer that call, chipping in a double-double off the bench (19 points and 10 rebounds). Jaden McDaniels—quietly becoming a major postseason X factor—added 17 points and made LeBron James earn everything.

Lakers Search for Answers as Minnesota Takes Control

If there was one stat that tells the story, it’s the Timberwolves breaking their own playoff record with a jaw-dropping 21 made three-pointers. It wasn’t just one shooter getting hot; nearly every Minnesota player felt like a threat, stretching the Lakers’ defense to its breaking point. With perimeter defense dissolving, the Lakers had to pick their poison: collapse inside or contest the arc. They never found a balance. Most of those threes came in waves—momentum you could see crushing whatever recovery attempts the Lakers mounted.

LeBron James did what he always does, pouring in 21 points and trying to drag his team back into contention, but it was an uphill battle from the jump. Luka Doncic, hailed as the midseason savior, couldn’t get in rhythm against Minnesota’s defense. The Wolves swarmed him with McDaniels’ length and physicality, and backup guards threw in timely doubles. Doncic’s usually surgical playmaking just wasn’t there. Every Lakers turnover (there were 18 of them) turned into a Timberwolves fast break or open three.

The paint might as well have been locked up by Minnesota’s bigs. In the first half, the Wolves outscored the Lakers 20-10 in close, grabbing rebound after rebound and turning contested shots into extra possessions. McDaniels’ block on James was more than just a highlight reel—it was a statement. Every time L.A. tried to claw back, Minnesota made them pay on both ends.

This is all part of a larger pattern for the Wolves, who finished the regular season on a 17-4 tear. Edwards, now carrying a career-high 27.6 points per game and an NBA-best 320 threes, is the face of their momentum. The Lakers, meanwhile, limped in after acquiring Doncic, closing out with a disappointing 10-11 record in the season’s final stretch. Now, after this opening punch, the Timberwolves have flipped the script and put every bit of pressure on a Lakers team scrambling for solutions.