The Los Angeles Lakers will be without two of their players for their first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, which starts on Saturday at

For the fourth straight season, the Timberwolves have punched their ticket to the NBA playoffs, and after a run to the Western Conference Finals last year, expectations should be high.

Minnesota hasn’t played L.A. in a month a half, and really not many teams over the last month of the regular season.