Luka Dončić against the Minnesota Timberwolves felt like one of the safer bets in the entire playoff field. He played them a year ago. It didn't end well for Minnesota. The Dallas Mavericks sent them home in five games.

The Minnesota Timberwolves cruised to a dominant 117-95 win over the Lakers in Game 1 of their opening-round playoff series. While it's unlikely the series will continue to be this lopsided, the Lakers clearly have some work to do if they are going to avoid another first-round playoff exit.

LeBron James had 19 points to begin his 18th NBA postseason, but the third-seeded Lakers were overwhelmed by the Wolves’ shot-making and playoff poise.