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Lakers lose to Timberwolves in play-off opener
Jaden McDaniels top scored with 25 points for the sixth-seeded Timberwolves, who were the only away team to win in the opening matches of the best-of-seven post-season series.
Naz Reid scored 23 points off the bench while Anthony Edwards added 22 points, eight rebounds and nine assists for Minnesota, who led by 27 points at one stage.
Lakers star LeBron James, who is chasing a fifth title in his 22nd NBA season, failed to score in the opening quarter for the third seeds but went on to hit 19 points.
Luka Doncic, in his first post-season game with the Lakers after arriving from the Dallas Mavericks in February’s high-profile trade, top-scored on 37.
In the other Western Conference first-round game, reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic scored 29 points and added nine rebounds, 12 assists and three steals as the Denver Nuggets edged past the Los Angeles Clippers 112-110 in overtime.
in their Eastern Conference match-ups, the New York Knicks scored 21 unanswered points in the final quarter to pull away for a 123-112 win over the Detroit Pistons, while the Indiana Pacers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 117-98.