Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic (77) and LeBron James (23) celebrate in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
NBA: Heat beat Hawks in OT, secure sixth straight playoff berth
James realizes that might not be enough time to build a bond strong enough to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, who probably have a better idea of who they are and what they can do when these teams begin their first-round playoff series Saturday in downtown LA.
The third-seeded Lakers won 50 games and the Pacific Division despite dramatically changing their core at midseason. Beating the Wolves in a seven-game series is an even tougher task, and James knows there won’t be a Hollywood ending to the Lakers’ wild year without plenty of work, determination and injury luck.
The 40-year-old James has been cautious with his thoughts about the Lakers in recent weeks as the 22-year veteran heads toward his 18th NBA postseason. Better than anyone, he realizes the enormity of the challenge ahead as he chases his fifth championship.
“Obviously you want to be healthy going into a postseason run, that’s most important,” LeBron said Friday after practice. “And then you want to have been playing at a high level for the majority of the season — being in must-win games going down the stretch, playoff-type intensity games, and we had that. But at the end of the day … I don’t give a damn how much you know about a team, how much they know about you, all the talk. It’s not about that. It’s about once you get on the floor.”
One year after Minnesota reached the Western Conference finals and lost to Doncic’s Mavericks, the Wolves roared into the playoffs this spring with a 17-4 finish to the regular season, playing standout basketball after Julius Randle returned from injury.
For all of the Lakers’ fanfare and star power, they went 7-7 down the stretch. LA still hung on to the third seed despite winning just one more game than the Wolves — and only two more than eighth-place Memphis.
“Trying to figure stuff out on the fly, it’s not perfect,” Lakers rookie coach JJ Redick said. “And frankly, our stretch since we traded for Luka hasn’t been perfect, and not just with scheduling, and with guys being in and out of the lineup. It just hasn’t been perfect, and it’s really hard to do.”
LeBron James and Anthony Edwards are meeting in the NBA playoffs for the first time after they cemented their friendship during last summer’s Paris Olympics.
“It means a lot to match up against him, man,” Edwards said. “Probably goes down as the greatest player to ever play basketball. Trying to get putting him out of the playoffs under my belt is going to be a tough one, but it’s going to be a fun road.”
