Lakers legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson expressed concern ahead of Los Angeles’ first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, calling Anthony Edwards “a matchup problem” and identifying key threats on both sides.
In a statement shared on X, Johnson said he’s “scared” for the Lakers and emphasized the importance of slowing down Edwards, whom he called “the game’s most exciting player.”
Johnson predicted Los Angeles would win the series in six games but said that outcome hinges on several role players stepping up, including Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura.
The Timberwolves and Lakers split their four-game regular season series, with each team securing two victories.
Minnesota defeated Los Angeles by double digits twice, while the Lakers won the most recent contest on February 27 by a score of 111-102.
The Timberwolves, led by Edwards, finished the regular season sixth in the Western Conference at 49-33.
Los Angeles entered the playoffs as the West’s No. 3 seed at 50-32, narrowly edging out Denver and the Clippers in the standings.
Johnson warned that Minnesota’s Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo could play pivotal roles in the series, stating that their production could tilt the outcome.
Despite his concerns, Johnson believes the Lakers can prevail behind the star duo of LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
The Lakers will have home-court advantage in the series, with Game 1 set to be played at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
The winner of this series will advance to face either the Houston Rockets or the Golden State Warriors in the second round.
