Seventh-seeded Timberwolves upset No. 2 Grizzlies, grab 1-0 series lead

Anthony Edwards scored 36 points in his postseason debut, and the seventh-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves stunned the No. 2 seed Grizzlies, 130-117, on Saturday in Memphis, Tenn., to grab home-court advantage in the opener of their first-round Western Conferenceseries.

Karl-Anthony Towns added 29 and 13 rebounds. Malik Beasley had 23 points, and Jaden McDaniels fifteen. patrick beverley and D’Angelo Russell had 10 pieces.

The Timberwolves, fresh off beating the Los Angeles Clippers in the play-in game, won their first playoff opener since 2004. That’s when they beat Sacramento in the first round on their way to the Western Conference finals.

Ja Morant led Memphis with 32 points and eight assists, and Dillon Brooks added 24 points. Brandon Clark had 13 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. Desmond Bane scored 17 points and Jaren Jackson Jr. had 12.

Memphis tied the franchise record for winning 56 games in the regular season and earning its highest seed ever. The Grizzlies had a packed FedExForum for only their third Game 1 in Memphis. But they struggled early after a week off and led only twice by 2 points, the last midway through the second quarter.

In this matchup of the NBA’s top-scoring offenses and two of the league’s youngest teams this season, the Timberwolves set franchise records for points in both the first quarter and the game. They also stymied Memphis with their 3-point shooting, rebounding and defense.

The Timberwolves looked like a team that played Tuesday night needing a win to clinch its seeding. They opened with a 9-2 run and led by as much as 13 before a 41-33 lead for the franchise’s highest-scoring first quarter in the playoffs.

Minnesota led, 65-62, at halftime, then outscored Memphis, 32-30, in the third for a 97-92 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Jazz Top Mavericks

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 of his 32 points after halftime, Bojan Bogdanović finished with 26 and the Utah Jazz opened the playoffs with a 99-93 victory over the host Dallas Mavericks, who were without injured All-Star guard Luka Doncić.

Bogdanovic had Utah’s only two 3-pointers before halftime, in a 13-2 run over the final 3½ minutes that put the Jazz ahead to stay. Mitchell, who always seems to step up in the postseason, came alive after the break.

The fourth-seeded Mavericks, starting the playoffs at home for the first time since their NBA title season 11 years ago, sorely missed their 23-year-old superstar. Doncic strained his left calf six days earlier in the regular-season finale. Coach Jason Kidd has said only that he is day to day.

Jalen Brunsonthe starting point guard with Doncic out, had 24 points on 9-of-24 shooting with seven rebounds. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 22 points, Reggie Bullock added 15 and Dorian Finney-Smith 14.

With Doncic in a black hoodie on the bench, the Mavericks cut an 11-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter to 92-91 on a 3-pointer by Maxi Cleber with 2:12 left. After Mitchell missed, the Mavs had the chance to take their first lead in the second half, but Kleber missed badly on another long-range shot.

Royce O’Neale then scored his only basket for the Jazz, a 3-pointer from the corner after he had first missed inside and then got a pass from Mitchell. Utah finished with a 20-7 edge in second-chance points.

Rudy Gobert had 17 rebounds for the Jazz.

Pelicans reach playoffs

Brandon Ingram scored 30 points and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the depleted Clippers in Los Angeles, 105-101, in a play-in Friday night and earn the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs .

CJ McCollum added 19 points for New Orleans, which will play No. 1 seed Phoenix in the first round.

The Pelicans made the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18, guided by first-year coach Willie Green, a former Clipper. They’ve been without Zion Williamson all season because of a foot injury.

The Clippers were dealt a huge blow earlier in the day when Paul George entered the league’s health and safety protocols. They’d already been without Kawhi Leonard all season while he rehabbed an ACL injury. I have watched from the bench early in the game.

Marcus Morris and Reggie Jackson each had 27 points for the Clippers.