Souhan: Minnesota Timberwolves embarrassed the Los Angeles Lakers? Don’t be surprised. You were warned.

I picked the Timberwolves to defeat the Lakers in seven games. Now I feel like a pessimist.

The Timberwolves didn’t just defeat the Lakers on Saturday night in Los Angeles. They embarrassed one of the hottest teams in the NBA. They made the Lakers look soft as Malibu sand.

Familiar nemesis Luka Doncic dominated the first quarter, during which the Lakers opened an eight-point lead.

From then until Anthony Edwards hit a three-pointer with 10:08 remaining in the third quarter, the Wolves outscored the Lakers 58-28, en route to a 117-95 victory.

The most pertinent question entering this series was whether the Wolves could handle the Lakers’ stars and LA’s bright lights.

The Wolves doused both with buckets.

This was a tour de force performance, the kind Wolves coach Chris Finch has been coaxing this group toward throughout this uneven season.

The result of the Karl-Anthony Towns trade and a season of assimilation is this:

The Wolves are deeper, bigger, tougher and better defensively than the Lakers. And they appear to be more cohesive.

The Lakers have played well since they traded for Doncic, but this matchup favors them only if Doncic and LeBron James play like interconnected superstars. Instead, they looked like they were taking turns making plays, while the Wolves’ star played like someone ready to reassert himself on the national stage.

Edwards didn’t have his most spectacular game, and he missed part of the second half with a leg cramp, but he displayed leadership and savvy, making the right plays and passes.

After Edwards left the floor, the Lakers, predictably, rallied, cutting the lead to 17. That’s right — triumph for the Lakers on this night consisted of forcing the Wolves to take a timeout with a 17-point lead late in the third.

There were two possessions that may have been indicative of the Wolves’ willingness to physically challenge two stars.

In the third, Wolves center Rudy Gobert bodied Doncic, who flailed at him, wearing that familiar pouty face.

James tried to run up the middle of the court and Edwards all but tackled him, drawing a foul.

On another possession, Doncic tried to make a lead pass from the backcourt and Randle flew at him like a defensive end, flattening him. He drew a foul. In the NFL, he would have been assessed 15 yards for roughing the passer.

Doncic hit a half-court desperation three at the end of the third quarter, then a three on the first possession of the fourth to make it 98-84.

When Randle drew a technical foul and Doncic hit a free throw, it was 96-84.

Edwards returned and hit his first shot, and suddenly we had a superstar duel between Ant and Luka, who hit an inside bucket to make it 98-86.

Edwards drew two defenders and kicked to Randle for a three, giving Edwards his seventh assist.

Shortly after Edwards returned, Reid banged heads with former Wolf Jarred Vanderbilt, who spent much of the game sparring with Randle.

Randle also mixed it up with the Lakers in front of the Los Angeles bench. As the Lakers jawed at him, Naz Reid smiled and handed the ball to the ref, as if getting under the Lakers’ skin was a part of the Wolves’ grand plan.

The Lakers should play harder and better as this series progresses. There will be closer games, and there will (most likely) be Lakers victories.

But do they have answers for Jaden McDaniels (25 points, nine rebounds, plus-27 rating) and Reid (23 points, five rebounds, two blocks)? Do they have the body armor to deal with Randle?

These teams now face different challenges.

The Lakers need to change everything.

The Wolves need only to be this new version of themselves.

With the Lakers trying to winnow the lead in the fourth, Edwards dance-dribbled at Doncic, passed, reset, caught the return pass and drilled a long three.

Then he pointed and stared at Doncic, looking more comfortable in the heart of L.A. than his familiar nemesis.