THE MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES Give me your oft-mocked, your castoffs, your players who were told they couldn't do it come playoff time. The Timberwolves just did it. Minnesota finished off the Lakers in five games with a 103-96 win in Los Angeles,

It was a close game, but the Timberwolves ultimately won behind a huge performance from center Rudy Gobert. With the victory, the Timberwolves advance to the second round and await the winner of the first-round series between the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors.

The Minnesota Timberwolves didn’t fall into the same trap as the Warriors on Wednesday night. Given the chance to pull off a first-round NBA playoff series upset, the Timberwolves seized the moment and beat the No.