The national analysts across the country are singing a familiar tune heading into this first-round series: Lakers in six or seven games.

That’s not surprising. Los Angeles has two sure-fire Hall of Famers in LeBron James and Luka Doncic, and the Lakers are the No. 3 seed with home-court advantage. Minnesota, meanwhile, won 17 of its final 21 regular-season games to nab the No. 6 seed, it’s fair to poke holes in the incredibly soft schedule that contributed to that run.

So the Lakers it is, at least in the minds of many. That’s fine by Minnesota.

“I just love it. It’s dope,” Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards said. “I love the fact that everybody wants the Lakers to win. That’s how it’s supposed to be. They don’t want the Timberwolves to win. I get it.”

That’s fine by Minnesota.

The reality is Minnesota can win. The Wolves feature one of the most talented, physical rosters in the NBA capable of beating anyone on any given night. Still, much will be required to oust the Lakers in a best-of-seven series.

Here are Minnesota’s keys to victory.

Balanced offense

The common playoff narrative is that star players must produce for their teams to advance. That’s true for the Wolves in the sense that leading scorers Edwards and Julius Randle need to make a positive impact if Minnesota is to down Los Angeles. But that impact may not always come in the form of points.

Wolves players this week acknowledged the Lakers will do everything in their power to get the ball out of Edwards’ hands. Edwards has noted his teammates have to be ready, and confident, when he finds sets them up to make shots.

Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jaden McDaniels and Mike Conley must take turns knocking down outside shots and attacking closeouts to make Los Angeles pay for its heavy attention on Edwards. Randle also will be a natural candidate to receive some of those passes, but he can’t get caught in an isolation game against any of the Lakers’ sturdy wings.

Ball and player movement will be especially critical against Los Angeles’ lengthy, organized defense.

“I think a lot of it is going to be trying to create distortion by drive and kick,” said veteran point guard Conley. “Moving the basketball, trying to get them moving a little bit. Because they do load up they do create a lot of help situations where they’re not just relying on the on-ball defender to get the stop. They’re relying on the gap help and the guy behind them, so for us it’s about being fast, being quick with our decisions, pushing the ball, getting out and really just trying to put a lot of pressure on the paint and make them have to move.”

Make Luka work

Speaking of making players move, that’s something Minnesota didn’t well enough in last year’s West Finals, specifically pertaining to Doncic on the defensive end. He was largely allowed to rest defensively while cooking the Wolves on the other end.

In fairness to Wolves coach Chris Finch and Co., Minnesota doesn’t have a bevy of perimeter isolation players on offense like, say, Boston. But there are ways to make Doncic work more defensively.

“I think it’s activity. We’ve got to play way more in transition than we have done against these guys, I think. Just play with a lot more activity on and off the ball,” Finch said. “There’s lots of things that you can do. I think it’s one of those marginal gains that you’ve got to do across the board, that you’ve got to do with every little thing that you do. And that’s how you can kind of make these guys work a little bit harder.”

Run Wolves, run

Much of the talk this week centered on Minnesota’s readiness to defend the Lakers’ home-run passes for easy transition layups. But the Wolves may need to be just as aggressive in getting out on the fast break.

Minnesota was 9 for 12 from the field in fast-break opportunities in its only matchup against the Luka Lakers on Feb. 27, with 23 points coming in transition. Aside from that, the Wolves shot 36% from the field.

Minnesota didn’t have Julius Randle or Rudy Gobert in that game, but the point stands that the Lakers’ length could give the Wolves offense fits in the half court. Any easy buckets the Wolves can nab could go a long way toward edging Los Angeles in the end.

A big Gobert

Gobert was Minnesota’s second-best — and perhaps most important — player over the final quarter of the regular season. The same will need to be true if Minnesota is to prevail in this first-round series.

As previously mentioned, the Lakers may have the defensive personnel and discipline to limit Minnesota’s offensive effectiveness. And they may simply have too many shot creators in Doncic, James and Austin Reaves for the Wolves to entirely shut down their offense.

So, Minnesota will likely have to win the possession game. That’s done, largely, by controlling the glass. Gobert has to be in the teens with his game-to-game rebounding totals, grabbing at least a few offensive rebounds a game while limiting the Lakers’ second-chance attempts on the other end.

Stay composed

There have been numerous times in recent years in which the Wolves seemed to unravel because of disputes with officiating. That could come to a head in this series. Edwards had to miss a game because of his volume of technical fouls this season, and the NBA had to step in to keep him from missing two.

The Lakers were third in the NBA in free-throw attempts per game this season. Doncic and Reeves are excellent at getting to the line.

Los Angeles also surrendered the seventh-fewest free-throws per game this season (20.4). Minnesota allowed the sixth fewest.

Should a few borderline calls go the Lakers’ way, will Minnesota manage to keep its composure?

“I think there’s a lot of things that you’ve got to do to stay focused right now,” Finch said. “We can’t control that. As a team we’ve done a better job down the stretch here of just getting on about the business of basketball, and that’s what it’s got to be.”

Edwards made the following declaration: “I won’t get no techs. I won’t say anything. I’m gonna be super quiet, 100 percent.”

Prediction

Lakers in 7 — Minnesota may very well win this series thanks to its depth, physicality and ability to hit open triples. But to do so, it’s going to have to prove itself in some tight spots against two of the players with earned reputations as athletes who are built for such environments.

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A World Tai Chi Day event is returning to Stillwater on April 26 to help raise money for the library and teach attendees about tai chi.

The family-friendly outdoor event will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon rain or shine. It is hosted by Healing Within Acupuncture and Wellness Studio and will take place at the Stillwater Public Library terrace at 224 Third St. N. It includes different tai chi styles led by tai chi instructors from the area. Indoor seated tai chi also will be available.

No experience is necessary and the event is free to attend or observe.

Instructor Mary McDonald will lead several easy-to-follow movements for seated tai chi, which is ideal for those who are new to it, have mobility issues or are recovering from health issues.

Healing Within Studio will collect donations. Donations, along with T-shirt sales, will support Stillwater Public Library Foundation.

To donate directly to the library, go to stillwaterlibraryfoundation.org/ways-to-give. For more information, email hello@healingwithinacupuncture.com.

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St. Paul police and school staff have found four guns inside or near two high schools in a week’s span, the police department said Friday.

Two of the cases happened Thursday: At Humboldt High School on Baker Street, a 13-year-old was located with a gun; and outside Harding High School on East Sixth Street, police arrested a 15-year-old who had a gun and who’d made threats against the school, said Sgt. Toy Vixayvong, a St. Paul police spokesman.

Last Friday, April 11, police found two guns in a student’s backpack inside Harding, Vixayvong said.

There had been no previous instances of guns found on St. Paul Public Schools property this school year; last school year five guns were discovered, said school district spokesperson Erica Wacker.

St. Paul police and the school district provided this information about the recent incidents:

Harding

On Thursday, just before 2:10 p.m., police received a report that a student might be armed outside Harding. He had not been on school property but he made threats to show up at the school with a gun, Vixayvong said.

Police searched and found the 15-year-old student, who had a gun, in a wooded area near the Harding Arena, Vixayvong said. He was arrested.

Earlier Thursday, at about 9:40 a.m., police were told that a different Harding student made a video with a gun and sent it to another student as a threat, said Alyssa Arcand, a St. Paul police spokeswoman. Police checked the student and found no gun.

Additional security measures were taken at the school on Thursday, Principal Tony Chlebecek wrote to parents.

Last week at Harding, the school notified police about 9 a.m. April 11 that a 15-year-old student had posted himself on social media holding a gun, Vixayvong said. Staff brought the student to the office and searched him, but did not find a gun. They checked surveillance video and saw he’d handed a backpack to a female student.

A search of the female student’s locker turned up a backpack with two guns inside, one of which was stolen, Vixayvong said. Police arrested the 15-year-old male. The other student said she didn’t know there were guns in the bag.

“No threats were made and no one was injured,” Chlebecek wrote in a letter to parents about that case.

Humboldt

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Police were notified around 3 p.m. Thursday about the situation at Humboldt. Earlier, staff searched a student’s backpack and found an empty holster, and they dismissed him for the day, Vixayvong said.

Staff received a tip that another student, a 13-year-old, had the gun and they found it in his backpack, according to Vixayvong. Police arrested him.

The other student had reportedly asked the 13-year-old to hold onto the gun for him. The 14-year-old turned himself in to police Thursday night, Arcand said.

Humboldt Principal Valerie Littles-Butler wrote to parents that there had not been threats made in the case.

Both she and Chlebecek also wrote: “I can’t stress enough for all members of our … community to say something if you see or hear any safety concerns. If you have any weapons in your home, make sure they are safely stored and not accessible.”

By Aisha Sultan, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

With less than a week to see dramatic rugged coastlines, lush rainforests, mountain ranges including glaciers and volcanoes, stunning waterfalls, acres of colorful tulips and three unique cities, our travel itinerary to the Pacific Northwest featured zero downtime.

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Few places in the country jam as much geographic diversity, culinary delights and cultural and historic interest as Oregon, Washington, Idaho and British Columbia. We designed our mini-adventure to include Portland, Seattle, Vancouver and nearby surrounding areas.

We planned our visit during the annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival during the month of April in Mount Vernon, Washington. This festival draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to the vibrant bloom of tulips across several farms in the Skagit Valley region. It’s much closer than the iconic tulip fields in the Netherlands and can be worked into a longer trip to the region.

Since there were no direct flights from St. Louis to Portland, it took more than seven hours of travel time just to get from airport to airport. Our return trip took even longer due a layover in Dallas.

That left us five full days to cram in as much sightseeing, hiking and eating as possible. For travelers who prefer this style of intense vacationing, these are some highlights from each area worth a visit. It’s hard to do justice to this entire region in such a short span of time, but for those constrained by budget and vacation days, who want to focus on both natural splendor and city life, it’s possible to maximize the potential of a shorter visit. It required planes, trains and automobiles to make it happen.

Here’s how we did it:

Oregon trails

The Columbia River gorge is a river canyon, 80 miles long and up to 4,000 feet deep, outside of Portland, Oregon. Scenic vistas feature cliffs, spires and ridges and peaks of the Cascade Mountain Range.

We left early in the morning from downtown Portland to drive about 45 minutes east on State Route 14 to the Columbia River Gorge — one of the most stunning landscapes in the country. The Columbia River carved this terrain of cliffs, forest and waterfalls as it cut through the Cascade Mountains.

It stretches for about 80 miles along the Oregon-Washington border. The views of the river canyons and towering forested cliffs are breathtaking and provide several scenic stops along the way.

Columbia River Gorge from Vista House, Crown Point, near Corbett, Oregon. (Jay Beiler/Dreamstime/TNS)

The historic Vista House atop of Crown Point is a must-stop overlook for panoramic views of the Columbia River. In mid-April, the gusting wind felt bone-chilling, and we were glad to have our jackets. We stopped to take photos in fields of wildflowers along the way.

Multnomah Falls is Oregon’s famous waterfall and most visited natural site, while a short mile away is the more delicate Fairy Falls. Lush rainforest drape the gorge.

We made a point to visit Hood River, the windsurfing capital of the world, during our 35-mile scenic drive of the “Fruit Loop” through orchards, vineyards and farmlands. Mount Hood dominates the background landscape while the river gorge features dramatic canyons. This scenery often feels magical and ethereal, especially earlier in the season when fewer tourists are around.

We drove back to Portland to have dinner in one of its renowned eclectic eateries, Gado Gado, an Indonesian and Malaysian-centered restaurant featuring Southeast Asian fusion cuisine in the Hollywood district. We were not disappointed by the spicy beef rendang and zucchini and corn fritters.

The next morning we visited the Portland Japanese Garden, considered one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan. We meandered through the stunning, strolling pond garden, visited a traditional tea house and admired the traditional Japanese landscape. Having visited gardens in multiple states, this is one of the most unique immersions in nature and culture.

Chinatown in Seattle

The Chinatown-International District in Seattle has a rich history dating back to the late 1800s and is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city.

From there, we took off for our two-day excursion into Washington, during which we planned to eat as much as possible in Seattle and take a train to Mount Vernon to frolic through the fields of blooming tulips.

Our first stop was Pike Place Market, where I’m almost embarrassed to reveal everything I consumed. I started with a drink from Tiny’s Apple Cider stand and a red bean sesame ball from Mee Sum Pastry. I sampled both sweet and savory crumpets from The Crumpet Shop — salmon for the savory and a honey, walnut, ricotta for dessert. We tried the flaky croissant from Le Panier and an Aditi Chai and mango from a fruit stand. These were just the snacks.

In Chinatown, we had to dine in Bruce Lee’s favorite restaurant, Tai Tung, where we sat at his table and ordered his favorite dish — beef with oyster sauce. We also tried the sweet walnut shrimp and almond chicken. We took pictures in the Bruce Lee room with life-size cardboard cutouts of the martial arts movie star.

We couldn’t leave Seattle without having seafood. The next morning we enjoyed Lowell’s Restaurant Dungeness crab omelette in Pike’s Market. We waited outside before it opened to avoid the line. And for dinner we dined at Elliot’s Oyster House, a classic waterfront restaurant, and feasted on oysters, chowder and scallops. Of course, we drank coffee and ate Top Pot Doughnuts before heading to Mount Vernon, which takes about an hour by car and two hours by train.

There are five different farms offering tours and visits during the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. We bought a self-guided tour at RoozenGaarde, which cost $16 for weekdays and $20 for weekends when purchased online during the festival. The 50-acre tulip fields created spectacular blocks of color. There were so many photo opportunities among the rows of vibrant flowers and from elevated points for a different artistic angle.

Vancouver

We left our rental car behind in the States and took the scenic Cascade route on Amtrak, which connects Seattle and Vancouver. It takes about three and a half hours, but the time flies by when looking out the large windows at views of clear lakes, snow-capped mountains and dense forest. It’s worth springing for the business class seats for the extra room and larger, reclining seats.

Since we only had two days to see as much of Vancouver as possible, we decided to purchase a guided bus tour that included top attractions — Stanley Park, Capilano Suspension Bridge, Granville Island, and downtown highlights like Gastown and Chinatown. Proving that some stereotypes are rooted in truth, a Canadian woman in the back of our bus apologized to the tour operator for having to take a call during her introduction. We found the Canadians to be exceptionally nice, polite and always happy to talk about hockey.

Our finest dining experience of this trip was at the downtown, award-winning restaurant, Five Sales, where we ate scallops while gazing out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the breathtaking view of the harbor and Lion’s Gate bridge.

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