Anthony Edwards welcomed the fact that sportsbooks and media personalities were picking the Los Angeles Lakers to knock off the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round.
“I love it. I just love it,” Edwards said on Wednesday. “It’s dope. I love the fact that everybody wants the Lakers to win. That’s how it’s supposed to be. They don’t want the Timberwolves to win. I get it.”
People often picked against the Wolves during the regular season, and they thrived as underdogs. Their statement 117-95 win in Game 1 on Saturday proved that betting lines mean nothing for a Wolves team that rises above adversity.
Minnesota entered the series as the sixth seed, meaning it was, by definition, a worse team than the Lakers, who finished third and held home-court advantage. It would also be a Hollywood plot if LeBron James and his new co-star, Luka Dončić, beat the Wolves and met the Golden State Warriors in the second round, before making a run to the Finals.
It was easy to see why Minnesota entered the playoffs as underdogs for the fourth-straight season. Dončić was an unstoppable force in the Western Conference Finals last season, averaging 32.4 points and sending the Wolves home in five games.
Minnesota’s only productive defensive matchup against Dončić in the playoffs last season was Kyle Anderson, who held Luka to 15 points on 6 of 17 (35.3%) through 18 minutes guarding him. Dončić dominated Jaden McDaniels in the WCF, dropping 49 points on 18 of 39 (46.2%) from the floor over 28 minutes against the All-Defensive second-team honoree.
In the first quarter of Game 1 on Saturday, Dončić was well on his way to winning the matchup against McDaniels again. The Slovenian canned three of his first four three-point attempts within the first 3:41 minutes, all of which the Wolves were heavily contesting.
Minnesota was trailing 15-7 through the first seven minutes. LA had already recorded eight second-chance points off three offensive rebounds, and the Wolves had four turnovers.
“After the opening few minutes, I think we were a little sluggish,” Finch told reporters postgame. “Excited. I saw some guys go through their first tank of gas pretty quickly.”
Dončić’s early barrage electrified the Crypto.com Arena, which was getting its first taste of postseason Luka Magic. In the past, McDaniels’ offense negatively correlated with his defense. When opponents scored on him, it occasionally translated to a dip in McDaniels’ offensive production.
However, that was not the case early in LA.
“His hustle plays early on kept us hanging around until we could find some rhythm and make a run,” Finch said regarding McDaniels. “He was outstanding on both ends of the floor.”
McDaniels’ energy level was noticeably higher than his teammates in the early going, even during Dončić’s red-hot start. Luka finished the first quarter with 16 points on 5 of 10 from the floor, and Jaden had five points of his own. However, McDaniels pushed the pace in transition, recorded an offensive rebound, and drilled a catch-and-shoot three.
More importantly, the Wolves only trailed by six points at the end of the first quarter. McDaniels was a primary catalyst in keeping the score manageable after LA’s quick start.
Even though the Wolves kept the score close, they needed to put together a run in the second quarter if they had any hope of winning. Luka was feeling it, threatening to put the Wolves into danger mode and dig them another six-foot grave in Game 1.
Minnesota didn’t let that happen.
“It’s not to say that our guys weren’t ready to withstand a playoff-level basketball game,” JJ Redick said postgame. “We were mentally ready … I’m not sure physically we were ready. When they started playing with a lot of thrust and physicality, we didn’t respond immediately to that.”
Off the jump, Los Angeles looked like the team that would play with thrust and physicality all night. However, the Wolves turned things around in the second quarter, outscoring the Lakers 38-20. Minnesota outworked LA in every way possible in the second, aside from free throws (LA took 12 free throw attempts in the first half, compared to the Wolves’ five).
Minnesota’s second-quarter stats:
- 13/24 (54.2%) FG
- 8/15 (53.3%) 3P
- 13 rebounds
- 8 assists
- 20 bench points
- 12 second chance points
- 8 fast break points
Los Angeles’ second-quarter stats:
- 6/16 (37.5%) FG
- 1/7 (14.3%) 3P
- 5 rebounds
- 2 assists
- 0 bench points
- 3 second chance points
- 0 fast break points
Minnesota carried that moment with them into the second half, taking a 27-point lead with 4:23 left in the third quarter. Everything was going right for the Wolves on both ends, who quickly silenced the Crypto Arena crowd. ESPN listed Minnesota’s win percentage as 99.8%, but Wolves fans know that anything lower than 100% is reason to be concerned.
Minnesota’s 24-point fourth-quarter collapse in Milwaukee a few weeks ago was creeping into Wolves fans’ minds as Edwards returned to the locker room with a left leg cramp with three minutes left in the third. The Lakers then closed the frame on a 17-6 run.
Momentum was shifting back in LA’s favor. However, Minnesota’s supporting cast kept the lead over double digits by the time Edwards subbed back in with 11 minutes remaining in the fourth. The Wolves’ lead stood at 13. They needed one final run to come out of Game 1 victorious.
After checking back in, Edwards quickly drilled two clutch shots, his lone two field goals of the fourth. The final make was a pull-up three right in Dončić’s face, giving Minnesota a 16-point lead with eight minutes remaining.
“When they were making a little bit of a run, or when they were starting to commit two or three, he’s just gotten way more comfortable with it,” Finch said regarding Edwards postgame. “He knows what he wants to do before he starts, or has a better idea of that.”
Ant was vocal with his team at halftime. On Wednesday, he claimed to love being the underdog during practice. On Saturday, he dropped 22 points (14 in the second half), nine assists, and eight rebounds. Edwards has led his team to thrive in adverse situations in many ways. He hit some timely buckets in Game 1 and repeatedly made the right plays.
However, most of Minnesota’s wins with its back against the wall have come via full-team efforts, and that was no exception on Saturday.
McDaniels built on his hot start, leading the Wolves in scoring by the end of the night with 25 points on 84.6% from the floor. He became the first player in Timberwolves playoff history to score at least 25 points and shoot 72% or better from the field. Naz Reid also poured in 23 points in 31 minutes on a blistering 6 of 9 from deep.
“We’ve got a great group of guys,” Edwards said when a reporter asked him what Saturday’s win taught him about the Wolves. “But it wasn’t tonight. I learned that in training camp. It just takes a minute for us to gel. It’s a new team. It just took a minute for us to figure each other out, and I feel like now, we are just rolling.”
Edwards finished that statement confidently, smiling. Minnesota’s collapse in Milwaukee doesn’t seem like that far away. However, the Wolves further proved it was an anomaly. This team has repeatedly shown they are at their best when nobody expects them to be.
The Wolves need to repeat this performance three more times. Redick will undoubtedly have his team ready to come out prepared in Game 2 on Tuesday. However, the Wolves made a statement in Game 1. A statement that could be the start of another deep postseason run.
