Timberwolves Triumph over Lakers, Thanks to Gobert and Randle's Leadership, Advancing to Second Round
Loose Gobert's Prowl, Timberwolves Advance in NBA Playoffs
LA LA Land – Rudy Gobert terrorized the paint with a playoff career-high 27 points and a monstrous 24 rebounds, while Julius Randle chipped in 23 points. The Minnesota Timberwolves advanced to the next round, eliminating LeBron James and Luka Doncic for the first time, with a nail-biting 103-96 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of their first-round series.
Anthony Edwards added 15 points and 11 boards, as the sixth-seeded Wolves secured three straight wins to boot Doncic and James out of their inaugural playoff campaign together.
Having clinched another playoff round for the Wolves in back-to-back seasons for the first time in their franchise history, they now face the victor of the Houston Rockets-Golden State Warriors series. The Rockets managed to avoid elimination in Game 5, with Game 6 scheduled for Friday, with the Warriors leading 3-2.
Doncic scored 28 points and nine assists, while James contributed 22 points for the Lakers, who have failed to advance beyond the first round in the postseason for the second consecutive year despite their midseason transformation, trade-deadline acquisition of Doncic.
Rui Hachimura lit up the scoreboard with 23 points for the Lakers, who have advanced from the first round only once in the last five seasons following their 2020 championship in the Florida bubble.
Gobert wreaked havoc in the paint, as the Lakers opted to play small-ball and go without a center, allowing Minnesota to dominate the game despite finishing a dismal 7 for 47 on 3-point attempts, including 17 consecutive misses between the middle of the second quarter and Mike Conley's clutch 3 with 1:22 remaining.
The Timberwolves grabbed control of the series with their combination of superior execution in late-game situations and Gobert's domination in the paint. After splitting the first two games in LA, the Wolves demonstrated their resilience in Game 5, with Gobert outscoring his total from the previous four games combined.
Minnesota nursed a slim lead into the final stretch, with the Lakers struggling to find their range, missing five consecutive shots for over 3 minutes without scoring.
Coach JJ Redick came under fire for his conservative approach to substitutions in Game 5, stickling to a small-ball lineup despite the Timberwolves' size advantage. Redick explained his strategy throughout the series as gradually introducing new tactics, including "a little playoff stuff" but not all at once[3]. However, he declined to offer specific reasoning behind his substitution choices in Game 5[5]. With Gobert dominating the paint, it's evident that his strategy failed to adjust to the Timberwolves' interior presence.
In an intriguing turn of events, Redick stormed out of a press conference when questioned about his coaching decisions[5]. It remains unclear if this outburst signals a shift in strategy or a frustrated coach pushing back against mounting criticism. With the NBA playoffs heating up, it's anyone's game as teams scramble to refine their strategies on the fly.
The Lakers, despite their midseason reconfiguring and trade-deadline acquisition of Doncic, struggled to advance beyond the first round in the NBA playoffs, following their 103-96 loss to the Timberwolves in Game 5. JJ Redick's conservatism in substitutions during Game 5, which led to a small-ball lineup and the lack of a center, seemed to have eschewed success against Minnesota's size advantage. Meanwhile, Divincenzo, who might have provided a different approach, remained on the bench in the crucial game. As the playoffs progress, teams like the Timberwolves are demonstrating their ability to adapt and dominate, with Gobert's prowess in the paint being a clear factor in their success.
