LOS ANGELES — Anthony Edwards was not at all surprised when the Minnesota Timberwolves showed enough talent and togetherness to turn Luka Doncic's playoff debut with the Lakers into a rout for the visitors.
Jaden McDaniels scored 25 points, Naz Reid added 23 with six 3-pointers, and the Timberwolves overcame Doncic's 37-point effort for a 117-95 victory Saturday night.
Edwards had 22 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in the first-round series opener for the sixth-seeded Wolves, who have won 18 of their last 22 games.
''I got a great group of guys," Edwards said. "But it wasn't tonight. I learned that in training camp. It just takes a minute for us to gel as a new team. It just took a minute for us to figure each other out, and I feel like now we just go.''
The Timberwolves weathered Doncic's 16-point first quarter in front of a roaring LA crowd before taking control with a 38-20 second quarter.
They poured it on after halftime, too. Julius Randle and Edwards hit four 3-pointers apiece as the Timberwolves made a franchise playoff-record 21 3-pointers on 42 attempts — with many of those shots taken without a defender in sight.
''It means Game 1,'' Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. ''We know it's going to be a long series. We're not under any assumption that it's going to be this type of game in Game 2. It'll be a completely different game. We got a lot left. A lot of meat on the bone out there. A lot of things. I know we can do better.''
LeBron James had 19 points to begin his 18th NBA postseason, but the third-seeded Lakers were overwhelmed by the Wolves' shot-making and playoff poise.
