Timberwolves win Game 1 over Lakers; Nuggets, Pacers and Knicks take early lead in first round

The Minnesota Timberwolves pulled off an upset to start the NBA playoffs by prevailing over the Los Angeles Lakers, while the Nuggets, Knicks and Pacers also took early leads in their first-round series.

The Timberwolves won 117-95 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, fueled by unusual success from the 3-point line.

Minnesota converted 21 3-pointers out of 42 attempts, beating the franchise record in a Playoff game and falling three shy of the NBA record.

The visitors' hot shooting, facilitated by the Lakers' defensive miscues, ruined Luka Doncic's playoff debut in the purple and gold.

The Slovenian star, surprisingly traded in February by the Dallas Mavericks, was the home team's leading scorer with 37 points and nailed a spectacular 3-pointer from midcourt at the third-quarter buzzer.

"We were trailing and that shot lifted the crowd. I thought it was going to give us a boost, but it wasn't enough," Doncic lamented to the press.

"It was a great atmosphere. Sorry we couldn't get the first win, but it's always the first to four," he recalled.

LeBron James, playing in the Playoffs for the 18th time in his legendary career, was held to 19 points on 8-18 shooting from the field.

For Minnesota, Anthony Edwards had 22 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists in a game in which he was treated for cramps.

Minnesota, which built a 27-point lead in the third quarter, had an unexpected factor in reserve center Naz Reid, with 23 points and 6 3-pointers, much of it uncontested.

"We've got to do a better job of closing the bodies and getting out on shooters," LeBron demanded.

"In the first quarter we gave our best but we have to be more physical, especially on defense," Doncic added to the self-criticism. "It's 48 minutes and every possession counts."

Denver stops Clippers

Also in the Western Conference, Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets came out on top of a fierce duel against the Los Angeles Clippers, which finished 112-110 in overtime.

Jokic tallied 29 points, 9 rebounds and 12 assists, seconded by Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray, who added 25 and 21 points, respectively.

As for the Clippers' stars, James Harden shined with 32 points and 11 assists, and Kawhi Leonard scored 22.

The Nuggets, who came back from a 15-point deficit, put an end to the Clippers' eight-game win streak to finish the regular season.

Antetokounmpo unable to carry Bucks

In the Eastern Conference, the Indiana Pacers overwhelmed the Milwaukee Bucks 117-98. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 36 points and 12 rebounds.

The Greek star was the only offensive weapon for the Bucks, who await the early return of their other star, Damian Lillard, absent because of a venous thrombosis in his right calf.

Pascal Siakam, with 25 points, and Tyrese Haliburton, with 10 points and 12 assists, led the way for the Pacers, who eliminated Milwaukee in the opening round last year.

According to ESPN, Lillard could be ready to play in Tuesday's Game 2 or Friday's Game 3.

Knicks' dramatic comeback

In New York, the Knicks defeated the Detroit Pistons 123-112 with a blistering fourth-quarter comeback.

The Pistons, playing in their first postseason since 2019, came close to pulling off the upset in Madison Square Garden, which packed with celebrities, from actor Ben Stiller to musician Sting.

Led by point guard Cade Cunningham, who had 21 points and 12 assists, Detroit rallied in the final quarter to take a 98-90 lead with nine minutes remaining.

The inexperienced Pistons then went into a scoring glut and allowed the Knicks to go on a devastating 21-0 run in five frantic minutes that put New York ahead 111-98.

Backup point guard Cam Payne was the catalyst for the comeback, scoring 9 of those 21 points, while Jalen Brunson was the Knicks' offensive leader with 34.