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2025 NBA Playoffs results, highlights, recap for April 19 including Brunson, Knicks winning Game 1

Here's everything you need to know from the opening night of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, where there were four games on the schedule.

DENVER 112, LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS 110 (OT)

The Clippers are going to regret letting this game slip away.

Los Angeles led by six with 5:40 left in Game 1, but were forced to overtime. Part of that was their own fault due to sloppy turnovers. Part of that was classic bad Clippers luck: With 24 seconds left in the game they dared Russell Westbrook to shoot a corner 3 — which is absolutely the right basketball play — and he knocked it down like a he was the third Curry brother.

James Harden answered, but the damage was done, and in overtime the Nuggets got the win (they never trailed in OT). Jokic was Jokic with 29 points and being one rebound short of triple-double.

Give interim coach David Adelman credit, with the game in the balance he benched Michael Porter Jr. to play the often-erratic Westbrook — the kind of move that got now-fired coach Michael Malone in trouble with now-fired GM Calvin Booth — and Westbrook made plays, including steal to force OT.

The big positive for the Clippers going forward is the play of Ivica Zubac, who made Jokic work for his points, while finishing with 21 points and 13 rebounds of his own.

If the Clippers just took care of the ball — 20 turnovers in a 101-possession game, coughing the ball up on almost 20% of their possessions — they would have won this game. There are reasons for optimism in L.A.

However, in what promises to be a tight series, the Clippers will likely regret not securing that win.

NEW YORK 123, DETROIT 112

The Knicks won this game thanks to a 21-0 fourth quarter run — and it's not a coincidence that happened when Karl-Anthony Towns played his best stretch of defense in the game.

There were positives for Detroit. Even with Cade Cunningham not able to find his shot (21 points on 21 shot attempts) the Detroit offense looked comfortable much of the night. The Pistons targeted Jalen Brunson and KAT, and it worked.

However, Detroit's lack of playoff experience ultimately proved to be the difference.

MINNESOTA 117, LOS ANGELES LAKERS 95

The Lakers did what every team says is their game plan against the Timberwolves — tilt the defense toward Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, keep them in check, and dare anyone else to beat you.

Anyone else did. Jaden McDaniels led the Timberwolves with 25 points, while Naz Reid hit six 3-pointers on his way to 23 off the bench. Ant did a fantastic job of moving the ball quickly, keeping the Lakers off balance, and then when he came back late, he hunted Luka Doncic and got good shots.

The Lakers were honest after the game, they were not ready for Minnesota's physicality. More than that, the Lakers' size and length advantage against most teams does not apply to the Timberwolves, and with that, the Lakers are going to need more from LeBron James and Austin Reaves in the coming games.

The Lakers should be — no, must be — desperate in Game 2 on Tuesday, they can't go down 0-2 at home and expect to win this series.

INDIANA 117, MILWAUKEE 99

When the Milwaukee Bucks won the 2021 NBA Championship, it was largely due to Khris Middleton playing at an All-Star level on both ends of the court and serving as a fantastic secondary shot creator alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Bucks missed anyone who could bring that presence in their 2025 playoff opener — Indiana loaded up on Antetokounmpo and were physical with him.

Nobody else in a Bucks uniform stepped up. Kyle Kuzma was 0-of-5 shooting and finished without a point, Bobby Portis and Ryan Rollins each shot 2-of-8, and Kevin Porter Jr. was 2-of-7.

Down 0-1, Milwaukee desperately needs Damian Lillard back, and he is expected to return in Game 2 or 3 from the deep vein thrombosis that sidelined him most of the final month of the season. The Bucks also found something late with Giannis and a lineup of bench shooters led by A.J. Green, expect more of that next game.

Milwaukee is going to need to look a lot better in Game 2, both to stay in this series and to quiet the Antetokounmpo rumors that would follow another loss.7

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Confident, ambitious, serious – the Nuno effect is taking Forest into dreamland

Those who know the man behind the stern facade all attest to the special qualities of a manager who has taken club to unexpected heights

Communication is key for Nuno Espírito Santo, whether it is speaking to his squad, playing music or guiding horses over jumps. Simple and clear messages make working for and with the Nottingham Forest head coach uncomplicated, because everybody knows what is demanded of them on and off the pitch.

The only place Nuno’s methods have not worked at is Tottenham, where he returns on Monday with Forest, who are in a race to qualify for the Champions League and are preparing for an FA Cup semi-final. The Portuguese was never the right fit in north London, lasting four months before being dismissed, but he will not be out for revenge: the league table has done that for him.

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Lakers lose to Timberwolves in play-off opener

Jaden McDaniels dribbles the ball against the LA Lakers
McDaniels has been a key figure for the Timberwolves this season [Getty Images]

The Los Angeles Lakers slumped to a 117-95 defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the opening game of their NBA Western Conference first-round play-off.

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.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said his team was "mentally ready" but failed to match Minnesota's physicality.

"I thought our spirit was right," he said. "I thought even when they made runs our huddles were great, the communication was great.

"But when they started playing with a lot of thrust and physicality, we just didn't respond immediately to that."

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.

The Nuggets trailed by 15 points early on but Jokic, Aaron Gordon and Russell Westbrook helped them back into contention.

Elsewhere, the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers both went ahead in their Eastern Conference match-ups.

The Knicks scored 21 unanswered points in the final quarter to pull away for a 123-112 win over the Detroit Pistons, who are in the play-offs for the first time since 2019 and have not won a play-off game since 2008.

Jalen Brunson scored 23 of his 34 points in the second half while Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby had 23 points apiece for the Knicks, who rallied after trailing by eight going into the final period.

Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo netted 36 points but it was not enough as his Milwaukee Bucks lost out 117-98 to the Pacers.

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Darcy Kuemper is Capable of Stealing a Series for the LA Kings

  © Walter Tychnowicz   

As the Kings prepare to open up their first round series against the Edmonton Oilers for the fourth straight year on April 21st, one thing will be dramatically different this time around: Darcy Kuemper.

For the first time since the days of franchise legend, Jonathan Quick, the Kings will have a netminder in place that is capable of stealing games or even an entire series with his play. However, in the three previous series with Edmonton, that wasn't the case for the LA Kings.

In the 2021-22 series, LA was backed by future Hall of Famer and all-time winningest American-born goaltender, Jonathan Quick. Although LA would eventually push the Oilers to seven games, Quick did not play at the level of his previous playoff performances. He finished the series with a save percentage of .904 and a goals against average of 3.43, far off his career playoff numbers with the Kings. In 92 career playoff games with Los Angeles, Quick posted a .921 SV% and a 2.26 GAA. Of course, Quick's gold standard took place in 2012 on LA's first Cup run when he dropped a .946% and a microscopic 1.41 GAA. 

The post-Quick versions of the Kings-Oilers playoff matchup have seen the Kings try to play around subpar goaltending. Not an ideal situation when facing Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. 

In 2022-23, for example, LA started both Joonas Korpisalo and Pheonix Copley, eventually losing again to the Oilers in six games. Both goalies posted numbers that were well inferior to Quick's. Korpisalo registered a .892 SV% and a GAA of 3.77 and Copley was even worse: .750 SV% and a GAA of 4.26. Not remotely good enough to beat anybody in the playoffs, let alone the Oilers.

Last year's battle with Edmonton would see LA go with Cam Talbot in net. After a very solid regular season campaign, Talbot was unable to elevate his game against the Oilers. Talbot started three games against Edmonton and posted a .861 SV% and a GAA of 5.30, while Dave Rittich had a .872 SV% and a GAA of 2.56. Thus, similar to the previous year's series, neither goalie was capable of stealing a game for the Kings. 

This year, however, could be an entirely different story. Darcy Kuemper is coming off one of the best regular seasons of this career. In addition to a 15-game streak of allowing two goals or fewer, the second longest streak since the NHL expanded in 1967-68, Kuemper finished the year with a stingy 2.02 GAA.

More importantly, Kuemper has shown an ability to consistently make tough saves, something that could help LA win a game or two that they have no business winning. As per NHL Edge, Kuemper leads the league with a high-danger shot save percentage of .863.  His career playoff numbers are also superior to the goalies from the previous two series. Overall, Kuemper has a career .908 SV% and a GAA of 2.72, including a 9.02 SV% and a 2.57 GAA during Colorado's successful Stanley Cup run in 2021-22.

While many factors come into play in deciding which team eventually wins a seven-game series, the numbers and the eye test show that the LA Kings should feel very confident about playing in front of Darcy Kuemper this year.

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Timberwolves push Lakers around with defense, physicality, take Game 1 by 22

Minnesota Timberwolves v Los Angeles Lakers - Game One

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 19: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts in front of Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the fourth quarter in Game One of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 19, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

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LOS ANGELES — When the Lakers have looked like a contender during the second half of the season, it was because they set the tone in games with their physicality and defense.

Saturday night, the Minnesota flipped that script.

Because of their defense and physical play, the Timberwolves are up 1-0 in this first-round series after a convincing 117-95 road win. They left the Lakers a lot of hard questions to answer before Game 2.

"We were mentally ready… I'm not sure that physically we were ready, if that makes sense," Lakers coach J.J. Redick said of his team getting pushed around in Game 1. "And really, when they started playing with a lot of thrust and physicality, like we just didn't respond immediately to that."

Minnesota's defense made the Lakers work for everything, there were no easy drives into the paint, it felt like every shot was contested. Luka Doncic fought through that for 16 first-quarter points, but LeBron James and Austin Reaves opened the game 1-of-9 from the floor. It was during LeBron and Reaves' shift with Doncic on the bench to start the second quarter that the Timberwolves took control of the game.

"It was really just our defense," Julius Randle said. "Obviously, Luka, he got off to the hot start, hit a couple 3s, but once we were able to slow them down and really defend, we blew the game open, was able to be in transition a little bit."

Los Angeles' "small" lineup was their best the second half of the season and Redick leaned into it in Game 1 (starting center Jaxson Hayes played just eight minutes). However, those smaller lineups still featured 6'8" LeBron and Rui Hachimura, plus 6'7" Doncic and Dorian Finney-Smith. That was enough most nights. Not against Minnesota, one team that can match the Lakers' size and even go bigger — they played a lot of 7'1" Rudy Gobert, and the 6'9" trio of Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels and Julius Randle together.

The Lakers' defense was loaded up to stop Anthony Edwards and Randle, but those two moved the ball quickly, and the Timberwolves trusted their other players to make plays. The result was that guys were getting into the paint at will, and when the defense collapsed, they found open shooters for 3-pointers.

Jaden McDaniels led the Timberwolves with 25 points, while Naz Reid had 23 off the bench, including six 3-pointers.

"He's 6'11" and has everything that a person 6'2" has in their game…" Edwards said of McDaniels. "We all trust him, one through 15, the coaches and the whole organization."

While Ant moved the ball and let the game come to him in the first half, in the second he attacked — and hunted Doncic.

The Timberwolves led by 23 when Edwards went down after a drive, was slow to get up, then subbed himself out and went straight to the locker room with what he said postgame was a cramp. By the end of the third quarter, the Timberwolves' lead was down to 16. By the time Edwards returned, that lead was down to 12.

Edwards' return settled things down for Minnesota, and they pulled away for the win. As a team, the Timberwolves set a franchise playoff record with 21 3-pointers.

Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 37 points.

Tuesday night, expect a desperate Lakers team that knows they can't go down 0-2 at home. The problem is that the Timberwolves present a big challenge. Literally.

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Knicks Playoff Notes: OG Anunoby dominates Game 1 matchup with Pistons' Cade Cunningham

The Knicks’ defensive plan against Cade Cunningham was pretty straightforward.

“OG Anunoby,” Josh Hart said. “Just OG Anunoby, man.”

Anunoby was matched up against Cunningham for much of Game 1 -- and the results speak for themselves.

Anunoby was the point of attack for a Knicks defense that held Cunningham to 8-of-21 shooting from the field and forced him into six turnovers.

“Just tried to make it as difficult as possible,” Anunoby said after the game. “Make his catches difficult; pressure him, be aggressive -- just try to force him into tough shots.”

Cunningham finished with 21 points, 12 assists, and six rebounds. He was a driving force behind Detroit’s success over the first three quarters but was also on the floor for most of New York’s 26-3 fourth-quarter run.

With the game still very much up in the air, Cunningham had his shot blocked by Anunoby, turned the ball over on an in-bounds and threw it away out of a pick-and-roll thanks to a bump from Anunoby and fantastic defense from Karl-Anthony Towns.

The two live-ball turnovers led to easy transition layups.

After starting the fourth down seven points, New York now led by seven with under six minutes to play. Technically, the game was still up in the air -- but the defensive sequence against Cunningham seemed to take some life out of the Pistons.

“OG loves those kind of matchups, especially in the playoffs when you can be physical,” Hart said. “He’s a physical guy, able to get through screens and those kind of things. We need his offense obviously, but more important (was) his defense.”

The defense from Anunoby (five steals, two blocks) was part of what the Knicks envisioned when they re-signed him to a $212 million contract this offseason.

New York’s defense has been inconsistent -- at best -- this season.

But the Knicks and Anunoby delivered in key moments on Saturday night, leading to a tone-setting win -- and maybe they established a blue-print on how to deal with Cunningham, who averaged 30 points on 56 percent shooting against New York in the regular season.

“They sent bodies at me... They made sure that every time I came off, they were checking me,” Cunningham said. “They were sending bodies at me all the time trying to get the ball out of my hands. They were on the same accord today (as previous games). I just wasn’t able to pick them apart enough.

"But for 3.5 quarters of the game we were all comfortable -- we were getting shots that we wanted, so we just got to close out the game.”

KAT DELIVERS

Towns and Anunoby lifted the Knicks on both ends of the floor.

Anunoby had 23 points, helping the Knicks keep pace amid Jalen Brunson’s early shooting struggles. Towns had 24 points on 10-for-14 shooting, 11 rebounds, four steals, five assists and 0 turnovers.

Towns was playing up against the pick and roll often against Detroit -- it will be interesting to see if the Knicks stick with that approach in Game 2.

New York was clearly well-prepared for the Pistons after a week of practices. Credit there goes to Tom Thibodeau, who pressed nearly all the right buttons on Saturday.

“We were really big on details,” Game 1 hero Cam Payne said after the win. “I feel like tonight we came out there and did what we’re supposed to do. There’s always room for improvement but I kind of feel like the guys were very locked in… made sure to lock in on the books they gave us; all the practice and walk-throughs, I feel like were pretty good (for preparation).”

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Mets’ Kodai Senga wins third straight start, extends scoreless streak: ‘That’s what we’re looking for’

Kodai Senga has been spectacular this season.  

The right-hander was forced to work his way into and out of trouble at times during the Mets’ meeting with the Cardinals on Saturday -- but he got the job done, helping them secure their fourth shutout victory. 

Senga retired the side in order in the first, but had some heavy lifting to do in the second as a double and a walk put two in scoring position with just one out, but he struck out Nolan Gorman and got a line out to end the inning. 

He cruised through the third and fourth, picking up two more punch outs along the way. 

The Cardinals threatened again in the fifth, as Thomas Saggese led off the inning with a double and then advanced to third on a wild pitch but a strike out and a strong throw to the plate from Brett Baty on a fielders choice helped him dance out of danger again. 

A leadoff walk followed by a Willson Contreras single put Senga in immediate danger again in the sixth, but he got Brendan Donovan to roll into a double play before hitting Nolan Arenado with a pitch to end his day. 

Reed Garrett entered and escaped the first and third jam easily -- capping off Senga’s final line at three hits, two walks, and four strikeouts across 5.2 shutout innings of work. 

After being limited to just one regular season start last year due to numbers different injuries, the 32-year-old has stepped tremendously thus far -- pitching to the second-lowest ERA in the majors (0.79) through four outings.

Senga's taken home the victory in each of his last three starts and he hasn't allowed a run in any of them -- stretching his streak to 18.2 consecutive scoreless innings, a much-needed return to form following his injury-plagued campaign. 

“That’s what people saw here in 2023,” Carlos Mendoza said. “A guy that’s going to take the baseball and he’s going to give you a chance every night -- it doesn’t matter who we’re facing. If they’ve got an ace, we feel good about our chances when he takes the ball.

“That’s what we’re looking for and that’s what you want -- someone who is going to match the best of the best when he’s healthy and feeling good.”

The last time Senga was at the top of his game he was the Mets’ ace -- finishing seventh in National League Cy Young voting and second in Rookie of the Year voting during a spectacular first year in the league.

Despite the success and his manager’s praise, he feels he’s not quite at that form just yet.  

“The pitches are coming out of my hand and what I’m imaging them to look like there’s still a bit of a difference,” Senga said through a translator. “I think getting used to the speed I'm throwing, going deeper into games -- my body will slowly adapt and hopefully I'll get closer and get to that form.”

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Devin Williams struggles in initial weeks with New York Yankees

TAMPA, Fla. — Three-and-a-half weeks into his New York Yankees career, Devin Williams doesn’t resemble the All-Star closer who dominated hitters with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Brandon Lowe tied the score with a two-run single in a four-run ninth inning off Williams, Jonathan Aranda hit a two-run homer in the 10th against Yoendrys Gómez and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Yankees 10-8 Saturday to stop New York’s five-game winning streak.

“Yeah, four-run lead, you’d like to get in and get out,” Williams said. “Made some good pitches, made some bad ones. Not enough good ones today.”

Williams has a 9.00 ERA and has allowed runs in four of nine appearances. While he has four saves in four chances, Williams has walked seven in eight innings and opponents have a .333 average against him.

“We got a long way to go,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s a little bump here early, and he’s got all the equipment to get through it.”

Luke Weaver, who struck out two in a perfect eighth, could become an increasingly enticing option to replace Williams as closer. After thriving when he took over the closer role from Clay Holmes late last season, Weaver has not allowed a run in 11 innings over nine games this year and has given up just two hits while striking out 13 and walking five.

Acquired in December from Milwaukee for left-hander Nestor Cortes and infield prospect Caleb Durbin, Williams can become a free agent after the season.

Williams converted 14 of 15 save chances with a 1.25 ERA for the Brewers last year, striking out 38 and walking 11 in 21 2/3 innings. Diagnosed during 2024 spring training with two stress fractures in his back, he didn’t make his season debut until July 28.

Given an 8-4 lead, Williams allowed José Caballero’s one-out single on a chopper as third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera made a high throw, for an error, then walked No 9 batter Ben Rortvedt. Chandler Simpson hit an opposite-field RBI double to left for his first big league hit, Yandy Díaz hit a run-scoring infield single and Lowe singled to left.

“A lot of soft contact,” Boone said.

Williams allowed the hits to Caballero, Díaz and Lowe on his changeup, known as an air-bender.

“Just the changeup to Lowe. I’d like to have that one back,” Williams said. “Tough luck on that double down the line, but aside from that I thought I threw the ball pretty well.”

Williams generated just one swing and miss among his seven changeups.

“Maybe using it too much,” he said. “We’ll work on that.”

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Knicks not taking Game 1 win against Pistons lightly, focusing on improving for Game 2

The Knicks' Game 1 win over the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the NBA playoffs didn't come without its warts. And although the game will be remembered by New York's furious fourth-quarter comeback, it's also a reminder that the team still has a ways to go to reach its final destination.

Still, Saturday night's win was important for the Knicks who will be right back at it on Monday night for Game 2.

"It’s important, no matter what game it is," Jalen Brunson said. "When you get a win it does a lot for your confidence, but tomorrow will be a reset then we’ll refocus and then get ready for Game 2."

Before the series began, one of the biggest questions was how would New York be able to contain Cade Cunningham who torched the Knicks in four regular season games this year.

OG Anunoby got the first crack at the 23-year-old and held Cunningham to 21 points on 8-of-21 shooting after the guard averaged 30.8 points against New York this season and 26.1 points overall. Cunningham did well to involve others with 12 assists, but it was far from his best showing on the court.

But even with their superstar held in check slightly, the Pistons entered the fourth quarter with an eight-point lead -- one that evaporated thanks to the Knicks' 21-0 run showcasing the team's grit as well as playoff experience (and Detroit's lack thereof).

"I think we’ve done a great job of fighting through adversity all year," Karl-Anthony Towns said.

As important as a win Saturday was for New York, head coach Tom Thibodeau knows it's now on to the next one. He also knows what the Knicks need to work on to finish the best-of-7 series out on top.

"It’s one win and then we gotta reset and get ready for the next one," he said. "… There’s a lot of things that we can do better."

Towns understands and echoed his coach's sentiment after playing in his first postseason game at Madison Square Garden, finishing with 23 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.

"Of course you want to throw the first punch, but it’s only one game," Towns said. "We gotta continue to execute at a high level and we gotta continue to stay connected if we want to beat a great team."

The Pistons will make adjustments of their own and it'll be interesting to see if New York sticks with Anunoby on Cunningham and if Cunningham will be able to respond.

As for role players who stepped up for Detroit that the Knicks should keep an eye on, Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. combined for 64 points. In fact, the Pistons were one bad quarter away from being up 1-0 in the series.

"Gotta give them a lot of credit, they pushed us," Brunson said. "We just found a way in the fourth quarter to get stops and find a way to win."

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'We'll get better.' Lakers vow to improve after blowout Game 1 loss to Timberwolves

Timberwolves forward Julius Randle and Lakers forward LeBron James fight for the basketball
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) looks to pass under pressure from Lakers forward LeBron James (23) at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

For 12 minutes to begin the 2025 playoffs, Luka Doncic rewarded the Lakers fans in the packed arena, showing that all the hopefulness that they entered Crypto.com Arena on Saturday wasn’t just some foolish dream.

It could really happen; he’s that good.

But for as much as a brilliant Doncic start can be the opening paragraphs in the story of a Lakers win, it can also be a bit of a mask. Because while Doncic got whatever he wanted, Austin Reaves struggled against Minnesota’s pressure, missing easy shots at the rim and struggling to get the Lakers into offense. LeBron James, who we last saw on the court grimacing after a hip flexor strain, didn’t have much burst to the basket or much touch on his shot.

And with Doncic on the bench after a 16-point first quarter, that mask came off.

Lakers guard Luka Doncic scored 37 points in a loosing effort against The Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
Lakers guard Luka Doncic scored 37 points in a loosing effort against The Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

The Lakers couldn’t score. They couldn’t match Minnesota’s energy. They couldn’t out-run ball movement or chase down rebounds. Opposing shooters were open. Driving lanes on the other end were closed.

And they couldn’t stop an avalanche that hit them with the kind of force that knocked all the energy out of the building.

The game, which Minnesota won 117-95, didn’t end during that stretch, at least not in an official sense. But everything that followed as the Timberwolves scored 64 of the game’s next 90 points should be a reminder of just how easily hopefulness can be punctured.

It wasn’t that the Lakers needed less of Doncic, who glibly said “I guess I gotta pass more” when asked about his teammates’ early lack of rhythm. It was that they needed to be better in the areas of the game other than the ones Doncic crafted in the first quarter.

Read more:'Everybody had my back.' Lakers forge tighter bond supporting Luka Doncic in Dallas

Because while he cracked the Timberwolves’ defense open, the Lakers flew around the court. The Lakers contested shots. The Lakers sprinted to secure every available possession.

It took 19 minutes of court time for the Lakers’ moment — the first time they’ve hosted a Game 1 since 2012 — to unravel, for it fall out of reach, for the season to feel in jeopardy for the first time since well before Doncic was a part of it.

“They did all the things that we wanted to do,” Reaves said of Minnesota.

The concerns for the Lakers moving forward can be found all over the final box score, the 19-point edge in fast-break points showing how much faster Minnesota played. The 21 second-chance points the Lakers allowed showed Minnesota’s determination. The 48 combined points for Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid showing how capable Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle’s co-stars are.

LeBron James looks to pass the basketball under pressure from Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Julius Randle
Lakers forward LeBron James looks to pass the basketball under pressure from Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (9) and forward Julius Randle (30) at Crypto.com Arena Saturday. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

The Lakers held Edwards to just 22 points on 22 shots. And lost. The Lakers kept Randle to 16 and Rudy Gobert to just two. And lost. The Lakers got 37 points (but only one assist) from Doncic. And lost.

“They're a great opponent. They're one of the best teams in basketball,” JJ Redick said. “It’s not to say our guys weren't ready to withstand a playoff-level basketball game. We were mentally ready. I thought our spirit was right. I thought even when they made runs, our huddles were great. The communication was great.

“I'm not sure physically we were ready, if that makes sense. And really when they started playing with a lot of thrust and physicality, we just didn't respond to meet that.”

They should’ve known it was coming. No one has guarded the Lakers quite as well as the Timberwolves have this year. Nine times this season, the Lakers have been held to under 100 points — and, now, three of those times have been because of the Minnesota Timberwolves' defense.

Read more:How do the Lakers match up against the Timberwolves entering their playoff series?

“Obviously we gotta do a better job of controlling the controllables,” James said after. “And I don't think we did a good enough job after the first quarter.”

And while the makeup of the Lakers’ roster has changed significantly in their offensive clunkers, the challenges the Timberwolves give — their size, their long arms, their quick feet and their active hands — haven’t really been solved by Redick and the players.

“You know this Minnesota team, they're gonna be physical,” James said. “That's what they bring to the table. Maybe it took us one playoff game to now get a feel for it and know what type of intensity, the type of physicality is gonna be brought to the game. But that's just the way they play. So we should be more than prepared for that on Tuesday night.”

Maybe more force will be the difference; no one on the Lakers thought that it wouldn’t. But maybe, it’s even simpler than that.

“Just be physical. Play like we played in the first quarter,” Doncic said. “I think when we played in the first quarter, we were at our best. Just limit their threes. Limit transition and second-chance points. And play our game.”

Saturday, they squandered an opportunity to sustain things long enough to take one stop closer to their goals. And, even if there are bigger signs for concern, the focus can’t change.

“You’ve gotta get beat four times; you’ve gotta win four times. So, that’s the outlook,” Reaves said. “We know we didn’t play very well. We didn’t play to our standards. And we’ll get better.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Top Canadiens Prospect Praises Penguins' Future Hall-Of-Famer

Apr 8, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) looks on against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. (Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)

If folks have been paying attention to NHL news cycles the past few weeks, young Montreal Canadiens forward prospect Ivan Demidov has garnered quite the buzz.

Although the 19-year-old Russian forward's impressive talent is on display - he had a goal and two points in the two regular-season NHL games he played prior to the Habs' first-round matchup against the Washington Capitals - he made some headlines Saturday because of his words.

Apr 14, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov (93) skates on the ice during warm-up before his first career NHL game against the Chicago Blackhawks at Bell Centre. (David Kirouac-Imagn Images)

During a media availability Saturday morning, Demidov was asked about facing Alex Ovechkin in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Someone followed up by asking if Ovechkin was one of his idols growing up.

His response?

"Probably in NHL," Demidov said. "But I love Malkin much better than Ovi, you know what I mean?"

Yes, Demidov was a big fan of Pittsburgh Penguins future hall-of-fame center Evgeni Malkin, who - along with Ovechkin - is one of the greatest Russian-born players of all-time. 

Malkin, like Demidov, is known for his playmaking, and the 38-year-old has amassed 514 goals and 1,346 points in 1,213 NHL games. He was infamously omitted from the NHL's 100 Greatest Players Of All Time list in 2017. 

In any case, that's one way for Demidov to spark something before going head-to-head with Ovechkin for the very first time in his NHL career - and in the playoffs, nonetheless. 

You can catch Game 1 between Montreal and Washington on Monday, Apr. 21 at 7:00 p.m. ET. 

Laine Saying He 'Couldn't Care Less' Facing Ovechkin In Playoffs Being Taken The Wrong WayLaine Saying He 'Couldn't Care Less' Facing Ovechkin In Playoffs Being Taken The Wrong WayMontreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine made headlines on Saturday after appearing to downplay facing Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin in the opening round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

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Cam Payne served as ‘catalyst’ for Knicks during fourth quarter surge in Game 1 win over Pistons

Things weren’t looking good for the Knicks in Game 1. 

After a back-and-forth first two quarters, the Pistons came out of the locker room resurged and they began taking things over -- suddenly New York found themselves trailing by eight points heading into the final frame. 

Then, everything changed in a hurry.  

The Pistons opened the fourth taking a five-second violation and the Knicks were able to build off of the energy from the fired up Madison Square Garden crowd, as Karl-Anthony Towns knocked down back-to-back baskets. 

New York ran with the momentum, scoring the next 21 points before Detroit’s Malik Beasley knocked down a three, pushing themselves back in front and re-establishing the double-digit advantage in less then five minutes. 

The Pistons made a push down the stretch, but the Knicks never looked back, holding on for the Game 1 victory. 

“We didn't end the third quarter the way we wanted to," Jalen Brunson said. "But there was never a doubt that we were just going to lay down without a fight -- we just had to figure things out and just keep battling, and it turned rather quickly."

Brunson was in the middle of the surge as always, but easily the biggest boost came from veteran reserve Cam Payne, who stepped up tremendously after a quiet first half showing. 

Payne had just three points over the first three quarters -- but during that stretch in which the Knicks completely turned things around he simply couldn't miss as he knocked down 4-of-5 shots including a pair of threes to give him 11 of his 14 points during the final frame.

He was also a key factor in forcing the momentum changing five-second turnover.

“We all know what Cam is capable of -- that’s what he does,” OG Anunoby said. 

“He’s a catalyst, he gets in there and makes things happen,” head coach Tom Thibodeau added. “The thing about him is he knows exactly who he is. He comes in with great energy every game, and he prepares himself well -- he gave us a huge spark, but that’s who he’s been all season.”

Payne, who averaged 6.9 points during his first year in New York, received a rousing ovation from the MSG faithful as he was subbed out late in the fourth quarter -- it was an ovation and performance he's been waiting for all season.

"It's fun man," he said. "It's a hell of an atmosphere. I was on the opposing side of it last year and it was tough, it was loud as s--t in there. Being on the flip side of it felt good, that ovation felt good. I've been waiting on that all year, how I played today all year, so I'm just grateful.

"I thank God for everything that happened tonight, I'm just grateful to still be playing in this league."

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Three Takeaways From Blues' 5-3 Loss Against Jets In Game 1 Of Western Conference First Round

Robert Thomas (18) and the St. Louis Blues dropped Game 1 to Neal Pionk (right) and the Winnipeg Jets, 5-3, on Saturday. (Terrence Lee-Imagn Images)

Things were going like they intended it for the St. Louis Blues in Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round on Saturday.

Their special teams were strong, they started the game hitting everything that moved, with a whopping 32 in the first period, and their special teams helped them carry a lead into the final 20 minutes.

But the Blues succumbed in a big way. The Winnipeg Jets scored three times, including Kyle Connor's one-timer with 1:36 remaining to rally for a 5-3 win against the Blues at Canada Life Centre.

The Blues, who trail the best-of-7 series 1-0 with Game 2 on Monday at 6:30 p.m., were 35-2-1 in the regular season when leading after two periods. It was almost automatic they would have the capability to close out a game but couldn't on Saturday.

Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou scored power-play goals, Oskar Sundqvist scored and Jordan Binnington made 21 saves.

Let's look at Saturday's Three Takeaways:

* Horrendous third period -- The Blues are usually good at locking down the third, and coach Jim Montgomery has praised the players for their abilities to do so since the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

Whatever that was on Saturday, this will be a quick series if that same blueprint and way of execution is in play.

Instead of managing the game, the Blues played prevent defense for seemingly 20 minutes, sat back, didn't dictate any play and had just one shot on goal until a meaningless Mathieu Joseph shot on Connor Hellebuyck with seconds remaining.

They had a chance to put a stranglehold on the game with a power play after killing off a Nick Leddy minor to begin the period but Zack Bolduc took an inexplicably bad cross checking minor to negate what was left of it and it seemed the Jets, even through they didn't score on the ensuing power play of their own, fed off the momentum.

"We can’t take that penalty in the playoffs, I do know that," Montgomery said." I thought we killed the penalty pretty good. I can’t say it built momentum for them, but it took us from a situation where I thought we were a little bit in control and then we weren’t."

The Blues managed things until Alex Iafallo tied the game 3-3 when Scheifele took a puck around the net, and was defended well by Thomas, but Cam Fowler jumped into try and defend as well, leaving that side of the ice open. Scheifele's pass hit the side of the net right to an open Iafallo, who deposited a lot shot beyond Binnington's right pad.

The Blues didn't generate any offense because their play with the puck was poor at best. They couldn't string together, forget two passes, they couldn't put one pass together. They kept giving it back in the neutral zone, then had to defend much of the period, getting hemmed in and when they would get it, would give it right back. Then they iced a number of pucks, including Kyrou late that started the sequence that led to Connor's eventual game-winner. Connor had been robbed twice in the game earlier by Binnington.

After Scheifele won the face-off from Thomas, who was 11-for-15, the puck came to the point, Josh Morrissey found Scheifele curling around the net along the left side, a pass to the low circle to Connor for a one-timer and it was 4-3. Adam Lowry iced it with an empty-netter to make it 5-3 at 19:07.

It was simply a terrible period for the Blues, one of their worst third periods all season and came at an inopportune time.

 "I didn’t think we managed the game very well in the third period," Montgomery said. "Penalties. Puck management. A little bit of our emotions.

"... I didn’t think our puck management and decision-making was quick enough."   

* Need more from Schenn line offensively -- Brayden Schenn will never be questioned for his physical nature; the Blues captain had a game-high nine hits of the Blues' 53 in the game. But with a line of Schenn, Kyrou and Jimmy Snuggerud, that line had a Corsi-for/Corsi-against of 0-11 in the game.

The Blues will not play beyond Game 4 if they don't get supportive scoring from someone other than the Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich, Jake Neighbours line. Even the fourth line of Radek Faksa, Alexey Toropchenko and Nathan Walker had a Corsi rating of 3-13.

No offense to Snuggerud, playing his first playoff game and eighth NHL game overall, but Saturday was a prime example of the Blues missing Dylan Holloway, who is a big influence in driving that line.

* Special teams did its job -- You can't go wrong when your power-play gets you two goals, like the Blues' did.

And quite frankly, if it wasn't for a lucky bounce off Ryan Suter's stick that gave Scheifele a gift power-play goal himself, the Blues' penalty killers would have been 4-for-4.

But one way to quiet a home crowd as a visiting player is to make the opposition pay with the man advantage.

Thomas made it 1-0 at 9:31 of the first when Cam Fowler kept a puck alive at the point, the second time on a backhand to Thomas, who made no mistake beating Hellebuyck with a wrister high glove.

And after Sundqvist tied it 2-2 with the Blues' only even strength goal at 18:10, Kyrou gave the Blues a 3-2 lead at 1:13 of the second period after a puck was worked around from left to the point to Kyrou, who had acres, it seemed, to skate into a wrister of his own and beat Hellebuyck high blocker (sense a theme here?).

The Blues finished 2-for-3 with the man advantage and 3-for-4 on the penalty kill, and on most nights, you're winning those hockey games, playoffs or not. Not this night though.

"I think our special teams, ever since 4 Nations, it's been really good," Sundqvist said. "We just keep working on it. And, it's good to get some goals on the power play and killing some penalties off and then we just get back to work tomorrow and see what we need to do 5-on-5."

* Here's what else Montgomery and players said postgame:

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Knicks use a 21-0 run in the 4th quarter to beat the Pistons 123-112 in Game 1

NBA: Playoffs-Detroit Pistons at New York Knicks

Apr 19, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) gestures after making a three-point shot in Game One of the First Round of the NBA Playoffs against the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

NEW YORK (AP) Jalen Brunson was hobbling and Madison Square Garden had gone quiet as the New York Knicks fell deeper into a hole late in the third quarter.

Brunson then left the court for what appeared to be a change of sneakers, though maybe that wasn't all.

“I think he was grabbing his cape,” coach Tom Thibodeau said.

Brunson and his teammates were sure super from there.

Brunson scored 34 points, Cam Payne had 11 of his 14 in the fourth quarter and the Knicks stunned the Detroit Pistons with a 21-0 run to rally for a 123-112 victory Saturday night in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 23 points and 11 rebounds in his first playoff game with the Knicks and OG Anunoby also scored 23 points for the No. 3 seeds, who will host Game 2 on Monday night.

The Pistons held up well for more than three quarters of their first playoff game since 2019 and had a 98-90 lead, a little more than nine minutes from ending their NBA-record, 14-game postseason losing streak.

By the time they scored again, the Knicks were ahead by 13 points, the delirious fans in the arena roaring louder with every Pistons miscue after they played with such poise for much of the game.

Payne converted a three-point play to start the run, Brunson scored and Payne made a 3-pointer to tie it at 98, and the onslaught would last for nearly five minutes. Payne and Brunson combined for the first 17 points before Josh Hart had the final two baskets to make it 111-98 with 4:50 remaining.

“I been kind of waiting on that all year,” Payne said. “I've been waiting on this game, how I played today, all year.”

Tobias Harris scored 25 points for Detroit, but just three in the second half. Cade Cunningham had 21 points and 12 assists, but the Knicks limited the star guard to 8-for-21 shooting in his playoff debut.

Brunson, who missed 15 games late in the season with a sprained right ankle, was just 4 for 15 in the first half and appeared to tweak the ankle again. But he changed out of his green sneakers and found another gear in the fourth along with the Knicks.

“Obviously, we didn’t end the third quarter the way we wanted to, but there was never a doubt that we’re going to just lay down and not fight,” Brunson said. “We had to find a way to figure things out and keep battling and I mean, it turned around quickly.”

The Pistons remained winless in the postseason since Game 4 of the 2008 Eastern Conference finals.

“Obviously, for this group, guys having first-time playoff experience, just understanding yeah, it stinks to lose, but it’s all about how you come back,” Harris said.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba