Best LeBron James, Luka Doncic Picks for Timberwolves vs. Lakers - 4/22/25

After acquiring Luka Doncic in a blockbuster trade with the Mavericks, the Lakers have their sights set on winning the NBA Finals. They earned the third seed in the Western Conference, giving them home court advantage in the first round.

But they quickly lost that advantage, losing Game 1 of their series with the Timberwolves. That puts even more pressure on Game 2 tonight at 10:10 p.m. ET on TNT and Max. Doncic and F LeBron James will need key performances to help them pull out a win tonight. 

Below, we’ll identify the top Luka Doncic and LeBron James picks for tonight’s Lakers vs. Timberwolves game, as the Lakers look for a win before the series shifts to Minnesota.

PrizePicks is the easiest way to get real money action on tonight’s NBA Playoffs game between the Timberwolves and Lakers. Pick More or Less on player stat projections — including for Luka Doncic and LeBron James — and get paid if your picks are correct.

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Best Luka Doncic Pick vs. Timberwolves: 31 Points

The Lakers were held to 95 points in Game 1, but Doncic scored 37 of them. He played 40 minutes, shooting 12-for-22 from the field and 8-for-9 from the free-throw line. Doncic made five three-pointers, marking the fourth time over his last five games that he has made at least five three-pointers.

When Doncic was a member of the Mavericks last season, he also faced the Timberwolves and their vaunted defense in the playoffs. It was a five-game series and Doncic scored at least 32 points in four of the games. In the other game, he scored 28 points. A key to his scoring success was that he attempted at least 20 shots in all five games. He also had at least 10 three-point attempts in each game.

Best LeBron James Pick vs. Timberwolves: 30.5 Pts+Asts

James only had three assists in Game 1. Dating back to the regular season, James has dished out six or fewer assists in four of his last eight games. James averaged 8.2 assists per game for the season, but he averaged just 6.6 assists over 24 games after the Lakers acquired Doncic.

The Timberwolves ranked 25th in pace of play (97.95) and sixth in defensive rating (110.8) during the regular season. James did not record more than six assists in any of the three games that he played against them during the regular season.

James has gone less than this 30.5 points + assists combo projection in four of his last five games. Alternatively, if James’ 6.5 assists projection returns to the board, it could be worth a look as well.

Most Popular Player Picks for Timberwolves vs. Lakers

Here are the most popular player picks on PrizePicks for Timberwolves vs. Lakers tonight across the entire NBA board, as of 12 p.m. ET.

• Lakers G Luka Doncic — 24.5 Points (Goblin)
• Timberwolves C Naz Reid — 7.5 Points (Goblin)
• Lakers PF Rui Hachimura — 0.5 Assists (Goblin)
• Lakers SF LeBron James — 38.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts
• Lakers G Luka Doncic — 4.5 3-PT Made (Demon)
• Timberwolves SG Anthony Edwards — 19.5 Points (Goblin)

Cash in on Timberwolves vs. Lakers on PrizePicks

The Lakers lost Game 1 at home to the Timberwolves. Losing Game 2 at home before they hit the road could be a death blow for their chances of advancing to the next round of the playoffs. In order for them to come away with a victory in Game 2, Luka Doncic and LeBron James will need to lead the way. 

This game between the Lakers and Timberwolves also leaves us with some appealing options to consider on PrizePicks, with a shot to make real money on the action.

There is a wide variety of player stat projections and squares on the board, so you can build your Lineup however you’d like. Just pick at least two player stat projections to build your Lineup on PrizePicks.

Check out our Playbook throughout the remainder of the NBA playoffs for more basketball analysis for your PrizePicks and NBA DFS Lineups.

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