The Minnesota Timberwolves have the Los Angeles Lakers on the brink of elimination in the 2025 NBA playoffs. The Timberwolves are up 3-1 in the best-of-seven first-round series after a thrilling Game 4 win on Sunday afternoon in Minnesota. The Wolves stormed back in the fourth quarter and Anthony Edwards scored 43 points in the victory. The Lakers will try to stay alive in Game 5 at home on Wednesday night.
It’s been more than 20 years since Minnesota’s original NBA team faced off against its current one in a playoff series, yet it is a matchup that, on one particular level, feels very familiar. Luka Dončić wasn’t on the Lakers for the beginning of the preseason or the regular season, but he ended Minnesota’s 2024 postseason in a 4-1 Western Conference finals victory with the Dallas Mavericks.
For the first time since 2018, LeBron James has home-court advantage in a playoff series (remember that the entire 2020 postseason was technically played on neutral courts in Orlando). The James-Dončić partnership, thus far, has been a smashing success.
The Edwards-Julius Randle duo, meanwhile, has been a work in progress. These are not the same Timberwolves Dončić defeated a year ago, and after a rough start without Karl-Anthony Towns, this Minnesota team finished 17-4 to punch its ticket into the playoffs.
Lakers vs. Wolves playoffs schedule
All times Eastern
Game 1: Timberwolves 117, Lakers 95
Game 2: Lakers 94, Timberwolves 85
Game 3: Timberwolves 116, Lakers 104
Game 4: Timberwolves 116, Lakers 113 (Minnesota leads series 3-1)
Game 5: Wednesday, April 30 | Timberwolves at Lakers | Time/TV TBD
*Game 6: Friday, May 2 | Lakers at Timberwolves | Time/TV TBD
*Game 7: Sunday, May 4 | Timberwolves at Lakers | Time/TV TBD
*if necessary
Lakers vs. Timberwolves odds
- Series odds: Timberwolves -550, Lakers +370
- Game 5 odds: Lakers -5, O/U 210.5
(Odds via DraftKings)
CBS Sports will have updates below throughout the Lakers-Timberwolves series.
