Timberwolves vs. Lakers: Preview, Predictions, Where to Watch

The Los Angeles Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight to open their first round series in the 2025 NBA playoffs.

This marks Luka Dončić’s first playoff appearance in a Lakers uniform. He arrives battle-tested, having defeated the Timberwolves last year as a member of the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals en route to the NBA Finals.

But these are not last year’s Timberwolves. Karl-Anthony Towns is gone—replaced via trade by new faces, including Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. It’s been a long, challenging season for Minnesota, marked by growing pains as the team adjusted. But down the stretch, they found their rhythm, closing the season on an impressive 8–2 run.

The Lakers, by contrast, experienced a reversal. Dončić’s arrival accelerated L.A.’s winning run, but they then struggled through a rough patch late in the season, plagued by porous defense.

Los Angeles has the edge tonight and will likely come out on top. But expect a big performance from Anthony Edwards, who’s having a monster April, averaging 31.4 points per game — including two outings with more than 40 points.

How to Watch Timberwolves vs. Lakers

The Timberwolves-Lakers game tips off just after 8:30 PM Eastern. It airs nationally on ESPN and can be streamed on the ESPN app, website, and other streaming platforms that carry ESPN.