With six wins in their last nine games, the Los Angeles Lakers were able to hold off the field and secure the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. That means they get a Minnesota Timberwolves team in Round 1 that finished three spots below them in the standings but just one game behind them in terms of record.
This is a 3 vs. 6 series, but it should be looked at as more of a 4 vs. 5 based on how close these two teams were. They split the season series 2-2, with the Lakers winning the only one that included Luka Doncic 111-102 near the end of February.
L.A. enters the series as the -200 odds favorite, which makes them one of the lesser favorites across the eight Round 1 playoff series. Minnesota has a real chance to create an upset. Obviously, this series will not be short on star power, with NBA icons Luka Doncic and LeBron James on one side and next-man-up Anthony Edwards on the other.
Lakers legend Magic Johnson acknowledged Edwards is a "matchup problem", but predicted that it will be the so-called "others" that made the difference if the T-Wolves do come out on top in the first round.
"If the Timberwolves beat my Lakers it’s because Naz Reid and Donte DiVenczo both have a big series. I’m picking my Lakers in 6, led by superstars LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Austin Reaves will be the third man in the ring for the Lakers and he has to have a big series as well as Rui Hachimara. Rui has to come up big for the Lakers to win."
If the Timberwolves beat my Lakers it’s because Naz Reid and Donte DiVenczo both have a big series. I’m picking my Lakers in 6, led by superstars LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Austin Reaves will be the third man in the ring for the Lakers and he has to have a big series as well…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 18, 2025
The shoutouts to Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo might have held a little more weight if Magic had taken the time to spell DiVincenzo's name correctly, but the point stands. The former Knicks guard has seen his scoring and shooting efficiency take a dip following his trade to the Twin Cities.
However, when he does score, the Wolves have a slightly higher winning percentage. Minnesota is 10-6 this season when DiVincenzo scores 15+ points and 25-14 when he merely reaches double-digits. However, it's worth noting that he didn't score more than 10 points in any of the four meetings with the Lakers.
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Naz Reid, meanwhile, will hope he can have the same impact he did last year when he was the catalyst to a playoff upset over the Denver Nuggets. However, the Lakers don't play big very often, so his impact could be limited. Minnesota hasn't been great when they need to rely on Reid to score either, going 18-18 when he scores 15+ this year.
We will see how prescient Magic still is when it comes to his Lakers on Saturday when they host the Timberwolves in Game 1 on ABC.
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