The Timberwolves eliminated the Lakers, but they lost a game when they met the Warriors who were below.

On May 7, in the fierce competition in the 2025 NBA playoffs, the Minnesota Timberwolves eliminated the traditional giants Los Angeles Lakers as a dark horse, but unexpectedly lost to the Golden State Warriors who advanced with a "lower defeat" attitude in the first game of the Western Conference semi-finals. This dramatic turn not only increased the suspense of the series, but also reflected the profound changes in the competitive landscape of the contemporary NBA.

**1. The rise of the Timberwolves: The youth storm shattered the myth of the giants**

Facing the Lakers with James and Davis, the Timberwolves ended their opponent's dream of winning with Edwards' explosion (28.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game), double Tagober (14.2 rebounds + 2.4 blocks), and Towns (3-point shooting percentage 41.7%). This team, with an average age of only 24.3 years old, proves with the league's first defensive efficiency (106.3) and fast break score (18.4 points): modern basketball has entered a new era of "speed and space". The Lakers' proud superstar singles system seems slow and inefficient in the face of the Timberwolves' unlimited defense replacement.

**2. The Warriors' counterattack: the tactical revolution of the old-fashioned dynasty**

When the outside world believes that the Warriors' "Chu Zhu Tang" core aging (three players totaling 104 years old) will stop in the first round, Coach Kerr broke the situation with two moves: one is to raise 2023 rookie Podjemsky to the starter and build a "five small 2.0" system, and his average of 3.8 steals per game activates the Warriors' iconic defensive counterattack; the other is to reduce the ball holding and create opens for Clay through the "elevator gate" tactic (G7 hit 8 three-pointers). This "decentralized" style of play just restrains the Timberwolves' reliance on interior defense - in the first game of the series, the Warriors scored 128 points with a 42% three-point shooting percentage, and Wiggins' death entanglement against Edwards made the latter score only 19 points.

**3. Microscope of tactical games**

1. **Space battle**: The Warriors averaged 35.6 three-point shots per game (first in the league's playoffs) forcing Gobert to stay away from the penalty area, and the Timberwolves' defensive system was cracked.

2. **Substitute Raiders**: Warriors substitute Li Kaile (former Timberwolves player) G1 contributed 12+7+5 comprehensive data, and his support ability cracked the joint defense of his old club.

3. **Sports Loss**: The Timberwolves' first round attrition war caused Towns to have knee fluid, and the Warriors got a 9-day rest in the first round of five battles. Cole bluntly said after G4: "We are 3 years younger than our opponent."

**4. Historical mirror and future enlightenment**

This round of series is like a replica of the Warriors' rise in 2015 - they also lost to the Grizzlies first and then completed the reversal. The Timberwolves are facing a similar test now: Edwards needs to prove that he can crack double-teams like Peak Curry (currently, he hits only 34% when facing the box-1 tactic). If the Warriors advance, they will become the first team in NBA history to have a core 35-year-old + still reach the division finals, which will redefine the limit of "dynasty lifespan".

**5. X-factors that cannot be ignored**

1. **Referee scale**: The Timberwolves averaged 26.8 free throws per game (second in the playoffs) and encountered the Warriors' "foul-avoidance" strategy (only 16.3 fouls per game). The interpretation of the cylinder rules of both sides may change the situation.

2. **Psychological Game**: Dream-Chasing Green said in the podcast that Edwards "has not learned to win", and the effectiveness of this mental pressure on the young core is worth observing.

3. **Technology intervention**: The Warriors used the SportVU system to analyze the Timberwolves pick-and-roll habits. The targeted fake defense replacement has caused the opponent to make 5 key mistakes.

This collision between new and old forces is essentially a dialogue between the times of basketball philosophy. Regardless of the final outcome, the tactical innovations (the Warriors’ “dynamic space”), talent development (Edwards’ superstar growth) and team building (the Timberwolves’ defensive culture) presented in the series will provide a sample for league development. As a scout report said: "When a wolves meet a hunter, the one who survives will take the entire West."