The Los Angeles Lakers will host Game 1 of an NBA Playoff series for the first time since 2012, but heading into today’s games, they did not know their opponent. That has now been revealed.
Heading into a beautiful Sunday afternoon, the Lakers had three potential first-round opponents: the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Golden State Warriors.
The Denver Nuggets took care of business against the 2nd-seeded Houston Rockets, locking them into the 4th seed.
The Timberwolves knocked off the Utah Jazz, but their fate, and that of the Lakers, would be left up to an afternoon matchup between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors.
If the Clippers beat the Warriors, then the Lakers would get a matchup with the Timberwolves. If the Warriors beat the Clippers, then Golden State would clinch the 6-seed and a date with the Lakers.
Los Angeles Lakers First-Round Matchup Set Against Minnesota Timberwolves
It took an overtime period to decide destiny, but the Clippers eventually took down the Warriors 124-119, clinching a first-round matchup between the Lakers and Timberwolves.
Los Angeles and the Wolves have met just twice in the playoffs in the 2003 and 2004 Western Conference Finals, playing 12 total games. The Lakers won both series, 4 games to 2, clinching their way to the NBA Championship.
This will be an exciting series that features a few of the NBA’s best players in LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Anthony Edwards.
The first game should officially be scheduled at the conclusion of today, after the play-in games are set.
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