Timberwolves-Lakers playoff schedule: How to watch
Timberwolves react to No. 6 seed in playoffs
The Timberwolves beat the Utah Jazz 116-105 Sunday afternoon at Target Center to finish the regular season 49-33. They earned the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs, avoided a play-in series and will face the L.A. Lakers in a best-of-seven series starting Saturday. Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo and Chris Finch reacted after the win.
(FOX 9) - The NBA playoff schedule for the first-round matchup between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers is now set.
Timberwolves-Lakers playoff schedule set
Timeline:
The Wolves will start the series on the road for Games 1 and 2 before returning to Minnesota for Games 3 and 4. If needed, Game 6 will also be in Minnesota.
- Game 1: Saturday, April 19, 7:30 p.m. CT on ABC
- Game 2: Tuesday, April 22, 9:00 p.m. CT on TNT
- Game 3: Friday, April 25, 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN
- Game 4: Sunday, April 27, 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC
- Game 5*: Wednesday, April 30, Time TBD, Network TBD
- Game 6*: Friday, May 2, Time TBD, Network TBD
- Game 7*: Sunday, May 4, Time TBD, Network TBD
*If necessary
Wolves get ready to face Lakers in playoffs [RAW]
The Timberwolves finished the regular season 49-33 and earned the No. 6 seed for the Western Conference Playoffs, avoiding a play-in series. They'll start a best-of-seven series at the L.A. Lakers Saturday night. Chris Finch, Julius Randle and Mike Conley Jr. spoke with reporters after practice on Tuesday at Mayo Clinic Square.
Timberwolves playoff preview
The backstory:
The Timberwolves split their season series with the Lakers, 2-2.
However, the teams only played once after the Lakers' blockbuster trade that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas for superstar guard Luka Doncic.
The Wolves lost that game, 111-102, in Los Angeles. The Wolves were shorthanded, however, missing frontcourt stars Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert.
Doncic was on the Mavericks team last season that knocked the Wolves out of the 2024 Western Conference Finals. Now teamed with LeBron James, it will be a tough task for the Wolves to take down the Lakers.
When asked Tuesday, during a playoff practice, coach Chris Finch complimented Doncic's ability to control the game.
"We got to do a better job of disrupting [his control of the game]," said Finch. "There's certain things we learned from being in a series with him last year that we have to put into action this year. Our discipline around him and our execution of those things has to be better.