Timberwolves 103 vs 96 Lakers summary, stats, scores and highlight | NBA Playoffs Game 5
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Rudy Gobert scored 20+ points in a playoff game for the first time since 2021. He saw his opportunity and took it scoring 27 points, grabbing 24 rebounds and shooting 12/15 from the field. We talked about this team having no holes on the roster, and Wednesday was even more proof of that. Gobert stepped to the stage and took over the game to send the Wolves to the Western Conference Semifinals where they will take on either the Rockets or Warriors.
Conley, the veteran of this team, closed out the game with the three ball in the corner to put the Wolves up by six with 90 seconds to go. Edwards ended the night with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists, none bigger than this one to seal the game.
Randle came up with some huge buckets down the stretch. He started hot, cooled down for the next two quarters but made all the right plays late in the game.
The fourth quarter went back and forth and it wasn't Edwards or LeBron or Luka carrying the load. It was Gobert making all the big plays and carrying his team to victory. He didn't score more than 6 points all series, but exploded in Game 5.
The Lakers would take the lead with a couple minutes left in the third quarter off this Dorian Finney-Smith three ball, but LA couldn't hang on to the lead or build it. Their biggest lead was just two, which they had a few times in the fourth quarter, but they worked so hard to get the lead at times that they let up once they pulled ahead.
Let's not take anything away from Gobert tonight. He was brillinant, but the Lakers lack of size and Redick's decision to bench Hayes opened the door wide open for Gobert. He was cleaning up everything around the rim and shot over 80% from the field.
Luka and the Lakers would come out intent on chipping in to the lead and they did finally cut it down in the third quarter. LeBron and Luka looked like themselves out of the break, but it wouldn't last too long.
Luka had to go to the locker room after getting hit hard on a drive to the rack. He was clutching his back, and it looked bad for LA for a little while. He would come back in the second half and play ok, but he was visibly shaken up.
LeBron and Luka went 1/8 in the first quarter, and took a long time to get going. LA seemed to trail by double digits for all of the first two quarters. LeBron played all 24 minutes in the second half of Game 4. Fatigue might have been a factor for James on Wednesday night.
Rudy Gobert went off in Game 5. JJ Redick decided that Jaxson Hayes wasn't going to play on Wednesday night, and the Wolves exploited that all night.
Edwards has a quiet night after putting up 43 points in Game 4. He did a good job doing everything else, but it wasn't his night from the field. This was one of those nights that his teammates had to lift him to victory.
The Wolves took a double digit advantage early in the game thanks to some great bench play from DiVincenzo and Alexander-Walker. This is such a complete team, that has no holes on the roster. Everyone knows their role and everyone plays it to a tee.
Jaden McDaniels was huge in the series but foul trouble kept him quiet in Game 5. He had just two points at the half, but did his job on the defensive end until he fouled out in the fourth quarter.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are moving on to the second round of the playoffs after gonig into Los Angeles and ending the Lakers season. It was Rudy Gobert who dominated the game with a career high night in the playoffs from Crypto.com Arena.
The Wolves got off to a quick start and looked like the more eager to win the game and close out the series. Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert set the pace for Minnesota who led for the entire first half and most of the night.
IT'S ALL OVER!!!
THE MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES ARE MOVING ON TO THE SECOND ROUND AFTER KNOCKING OUT LUKA, LEBRON AND THE LAKERS IN THE FIRST ROUND!!!
Randle to the line after the foul on Vincent and he hits one of two FTs, but Reid gets the offensive rebound and that's going to do it!!!
LeBron lays it up and in.
Lakers timeout with 38 seconds to go.
Randle to the line after the foul on LeBron and he hits both FTs.
Conley in the corner and he answers back with a three ball off the kickout from Edwards!!!
Hachimura drills a massive three ball from the wing off the dish from LeBron!
Luka misses a lay up on one end and Conley took it for a lay up on the other end!
Randle takes Luka to the bucket and lays it up and in. He's got 24 on the night.
Luka finds LeBron in the corner and he drills the three ball! Those are his first points of the quarter and the Wolves want a timeout with 3:01 to go.
Randle down the lane and he floats it up and in!!!
6-0 run from the Wolves and they lead by 5. Timeout Lakes with 3:27 to go!!
McDaniels just fouled out on a loose ball foul on Kleber.
Timeout Lakers with 5:36 to go!
DiVincenzo with the missed three and Gobert is there with the tip slam!!! That's a playoff career high 27 for the Frenchman!
Finney-Smith just picked up his sixth foul and sends McDaniels to the line where he makes both FTs.
6:30 to go in the 4th.
Doncic pulls up and give the Lakers the lead from the FT line.
McDaniels sends Luka to the line and he hits one of two FTs.
Hachimura sends Gobert to the line and he hits one of two FTs.
Randle to the line after the foul on Doncic and he hits both FTs.
Reaves pulls the trigger from the top of the key and he drills it to give the Lakers the lead!
LeBron just collided with DiVincenzo and stayed down on the floor. He just limped off the court and to the bench with 8:40 to go.
The Lakers keep the ball after an unsuccessful challenge.
There was an out of bounds that was given to the Lakers and the Wolves are going to challenge with 9:00 to go in the 4th.
Randle fades off one foot from the paint over LeBron.
After review it was deemed a common foul.
Finney-Smith called for the foul and the refs are going to check and see if that was a flagrant foul.
Hachimura ties us up with a lay up on the baseline after the feed from LeBron.
Reid to the line after the foul on Reaves and he hits one of two FTs.
WE ARE HEADING TO THE FOURTH QUARTER WITH THE WOLVES UP BY A POINT!!!
12 MORE MINUTES TO GO FROM LA!!!
Gobert follows the Edwards' missed lay up and he puts it back up and in. That's 24 for Rudy.
LeBron to the line after the foul on Alexander-Walker and he hits one of two FTs.
Alexander-Walker finds Gobert down the baseline and he was wide open for the two handed slam!
LUka to the line after the foul on DiVincenzo and he hits one of two FTs.
Finney-Smith steps into a three on the wing and he give the Lakers their first lead of the game!
Luka with the lob to Hachimura on the break and he slams the alley oop home!
Randle with a tough fader from outside the lane and that goes.
Vanderbilt with the offensive board and he finds Luka for the three in the corner!
Randle with the spin down on the block and lays it up and in off the dish from DiVincenzo.
Luka to the line after the foul on Reid and he hits both FTs.
Edwards to the line after the foul on Finney-Smith and he hits one of two FTs.
Luka left all alone and he strolls the the bucket and lays it up and in.
Gobert follows up the miss from Randle it tip slams it home! He's got 20 on the night
James with the kick out to Hachimura and he drops the three ball from the wing!!
Doncic sends Conley to the line where he hits both FTs. That's his fourth on the nigt.
Doncic floats it up and in down the lane.
Edwards into traffic and he gets the roll of the leaner in the lane.
The call is reversed so LA avoid the three FTs and Luka avoids his fourth foul.
Luka called for a foul on Randle's three and the Lakers are going to challenge the call with 7:22 left in the third quarter.
Reaves finds LeBron down the lane and he lays it up and in and gets the foul on Gobert! FT is no good after Gobert's fourth foul.
Randle down low to Gobert and he slams it up over everyone!
Hachimura strings a three ball from the top fo the key off the feed from Reaves.
McDaniels runs over Luka and lays it up and in off the spin from the block.
Luka on the step back three and his back looked OK right there.
Gobert sent to the line after the foul on LeBron, and he hits one of two FTs.
Timeout Wolves with 9:57 to go in the 3rd quarter.
McDaniles to the line after the foul on Reaves and he hits both FTs.
LeBron might just be in take over mode. He cuts down the baseline and Finney-Smith hit him with a back door pass.
LeBron spots up from the baseline and hits the mid range jumper.
WE ARE BACK IN LA FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION!!!
Luka is on the floor, let's see how effective he can be.
This is the story of the second half. If Luka cant come back after taking a hard hit at the end of the first half, the Lakers are done.
The Lakers have to figure out a way to slow down Gobert with no one to match up with him in the paint. If not, they could be heading to an early offseason by the end of the night.
This is just a perfectly complemented team. Conley, the vet. McDaniles the Mr. Doitall. Randle the second scorer. ANT the MVP. Reid the Sixth Man of the Year last year. There is just not many holes in this roster and it's showing.
LeBron started to get going after he and Luka went 1/8 in the first quarter. He helped cut into the lead but the Lakers could never draw level. LeBron has 10 points, and they might need him to take over in the second half after Luka went to the locker room.
JJ Redick made a decision that Jaxson Hayes wasn't going to play in this game, but for the first time all series Rudy Gobert has double digit points. He's got 15 and 8 at the half.
Edwards got off to a slow start as he let the rest of the team get going. He started to get going at the end of the first quarter and went to half with 10 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.
DiVincenzo is the perfect complement off the bench for this Wolves team. He came in and hit 9 points, and did a little bit of everything else. He's got 3 assists. He's been defending on the other end and he's giving some great energy after the Wolves got in some early foul trouble.
Jaden McDaniels and Randle went to the bench early after picking up 3 fouls in the first half. This was his only bucket of the half, but Gobert picked up the slack.
The Wolves lead by 10 at the halftime break and they got out early on LA thanks to everyone that is not named Anthony Edwards. It was Randle and Gobert getting things going early on.
WE ARE HEADING TO HALFTIME HERE FROM LA!!!
LA trail by 10, but the big story going into the break is Luka heading to the locker room after suffering an apparent back injury.
Alexander-Walker to the cup and he lays it up and in.
Edwards slips it to the baselien where DiVincenzo reverses it up and in off the glass.
Luka is walking to the bench after those FTs and he is going back to the locker room.
The play stands, and Luka hits both FTs with a minute to go in the half.
Luka got hacked at the rim by DiVincenzo and he stayed down for a little while clutching his back.
The refs are going to take a look to see if there was anything more to the foul on Luka.
Reaves with a sweet behind the back move and he lays it up and in over DiVincenzo.
Down low for Gobert from DiVincenzo and he slams it up over Doncic.
LeBron splits the defenders and smashes it home with two hands.
Timeout Wolves with 2:44 to go in the 2nd quarter!
Edwards to the line after the foul on Vanderbilt and he hits both FTs and the lead is back up to double digits.
Gobert slams down the ally oop off the lob from Alexander-Walker!
Luka steps back from the FT line and he's starting to warm up. That's 10 for Luka.
Edwards to the line after the foul on Finney-Smith and he hits both FTs.
DiVincenzo drops a three ball from the corner off the kick out from Edwards!
Doncic on the step back from outside the lane and that's his first FG of the night.
Vanderbilt feeds Finney-Smith down low and he finishes it off with a double clutch lay up.
Alexander-Walker answers back with a three ball from the corner and the Lakers need a timeout with 7:01 to go in the 2nd quarter!
Luka drives and dishes to Hachimura in the corner and he drills the three ball!
Extra pass from Reid to Conley in the corner and he drills the three ball!
Edwards taking it into traffic again and this time he gets the bucket to go and the foul! FT is no good.
Vanderbllt kicks it out to Hachimura who strings a three ball from the wing!
Edwards splits a double team and scoops it up and in off the glass.
Gobert sends Vanderbilt to the line after the foul on Gobert and he hits both FTs.
Gobert picks up the air ball from Edwards and slams it home! He's got 11 to lead the Wolves.
Court long give and go between LeBron and Vincent and LeBron took it strong to the rack and he lays it up and in and the foul!!! FT is good after the third foul on McDaniels.
DiVincenzo to the line after the foul on Reaves and he hits one of two FTs.
LeBron picked Reid's pocket and looked up for Reaves on the transition lay up.
Randle just picked up his third foul after an off the ball collision with LeBron.
LeBron steaks to the bucket and starts the second quarter off with a vicious slam!!!
WE ARE AT THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER!!!
The Wolves came out strong thanks to Gobert who had a quick start with 9 points. LeBron and Luka are a combined 1/8 from the field and LA trail by 9 in this elimination game.
Luka fouled by Randle on the three ball and Luka hits all three FTs.
DiVincenzo lays it back and finds Gobert who lays it up and in o the break.
Kleber to the line after the foul on Gobert and he hits both FTs for his first points as a Laker.
LeBron picks up the loose ball and takes it to the rim for the finger roll.
Gobert with the easy slam after Minnesota cut through the middle of the zone.
Reid down low off the feed from Alexander-Walker and he hits the ook shot from the paint.
Maxi Kleber just entered the game! He's making his debut for LA after being traded from Dallas to LA in the Luka trade.
LeBron to the line after the foul on Reid and he hits one of two FTs.
Alexander-Walker to the line after the foul on Vanderbilt and he hits both FTs.
Reaves was left open from the top of the key and he strokes the three ball!!!
Timeout Wolves with 3:18 to go in the 1st quarter!!
Edwards streaks right down Main Street and lays it up and in.
Luka lobs it up from halfcourt and finds Finney-Smith for the lay in alley oop.
Wide open look for Alexander-Walker in the corner and he drains the three.
DiVincenzo strokes the three from the wing off the handoff from Reid.
Timeout Lakers with 6:10 to go in the first quarter!
Randle from the wing and he strings the three ball off the dish from Edwards!!
Hachimura follows up his own missed three and lays it up and in after ripping that rebound away from Conley.
Hachimura drives to the cup from the corner and throws it down on Gobert!!!
Doncic sends Gobert to the line after picking up his second foul and Gobert hits one of two FTs.
McDaniels blows past Luka and and slams it down with one hand.
Doncic to the line after the second foul on McDaniels and he hits one of two FTs.
Randle puts it on the deck and lays it up and in off the glass with the foul on Doncic! FT is good to complete the three point play.
Reaves bullies his way to the bucket in transition and hits the floater in traffic.
Doncic to the line and he hits both FTs after the foul on McDaniels.
Gobert down the lane off the feed from Randle and Gobert is liking this look with no Hayes in the starting line five.
Luka lost it after gathering the rebound and Gobert gobbled up the loose ball and put it up and in.
Randle gets us started with a step back from the FT line. He's been off to some hot starts over the last few games.
WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM LOS ANGELES!!! WILL THE LAKERS SURVIVE OR ARE THE TIMBERWOLVES ADVANCING TO THE NEXT ROUND? WE HAVE 48 MINUTES TO FIND OUT.
Gobert going crazy from the bench
Rudy hasn't been doing much on the offensive end this series, and that's with the Lakers playing an undersized roster in each of the five games. Unfortunately you can't take shots from the bench, or we might see his stats go up. With no Jaxson Hayes in the starting five lets see if they try and feed the big man early.
Rockets spanking Warriors
ANT might want the Warriors in the next round of the playoffs, but he's going to have to wait a little while until that matchup is confirmed. Houston is stomping the Warriors right now, so ANT can lead his team to the second round tonight but he's going to have to wait at least another game to set that match up up next round. Barring he and the Wolves win tonight.
Wolves starting five
If it ain't broke don't fix it. The Wolves have been sensational in this series and a lot of that can be chalked up to ANT, but we can forget about the supporting cast. Tonight it's Conley, ANT, McDaniels, Randle and Gobert to start off Game 5 from LA.
Lakers starters
There was a question as to whether the Lakers would go with their same starting five as the last few games after all of them played the entire second half. The only change JJ Redick has made is swapping Jaxson Hayes for Dorian Finney-Smith. LA will look for early offense wit DFS, Luka, LeBron, Rui, and Reaves .
Injury report: Wolves
The Wolves are young, they are fast and they are physical. Best of all, they are healthy. Anthony Edwards had a little bit of a scare when LeBron rolled up on his ankle chasing after a loose ball but he shook that off quickly and came back to win the game on Monday night. Now the Wolves, who have a full deck of cards head into LA looking to close out the series and advance to the second round.
Injury report: Lakers
The Lakers might have a thin bench, but at least they are healthy. The only player they are missing is Maxi Kleber who has been out since the Luka trade when he and Doncic came over from Dallas. The rest of the Lakers are good to go, and they are going to need each and everyone of those players to suvive this elimination game.
History of 3-1 leads
The Lakers know how much trouble they are in down 3-1 to the Wolves. That’s why they gave so much effort in the second half of the game on Monday to try and even the series. Now they are facing elimination, down two games and are in a position only a few teams have comeback from. Our Williams Allen has more on all the stats, comebacks and closeouts in a 3-1 series.
Lakers starters battling fatigue
Desperate times call for desperate measures and the Lakers knew how important Game 4 in Minnesota was. JJ Redick decided to play his starters for the entire final two quarters. He took a gamble on a game that tipped off less than 48 hours after Game 3. LeBron was kept quiet, and the Lakers looked fatigued at the end of the game. Depth has been a problem for LA since the trade, and it reared it’s ugly head in Game 4. Tonight a big story will be how the starting five come out after having to play the entire second half on Monday night.
ANT wants Warriors, when done with Lakers
Let me preface this post by letting you Anthony Edwards said this two years ago. For as confident, and sometimes flat out cocky ANT can be, he still has the presence of mind not to be making these kinds of statements while in the middle of the series. A couple years ago, in 2023 Edward told reporters that he wanted to meet the Warriors once in the playoffs and there was just one reason why. “I want to play the Warriors. Draymond talks so much trash. Tat’s pretty much the only reason.” ANT hasn’t had the chance since making those statements, but he might get a crack at the Dubs in the next round of the playoffs. If they can take care of business against the Lakers and the Warriors close out the Rockets, we will get the match up Edwards has been longing for.
Star watch: Wolves
We have said it all series long. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch prefers when Anthony Edwards flirts with a triple double rather then put up 30 or 40. What about when he scores a ton of points, and flirts with a triple double? Well obviously Finch will take that over everything and that’s exactly what happened on Monday night. He scored 43 points, which was one shy of his career playoff high set last year against the Denver Nuggets in a loss. We could be seeing the torch being passed before our eyes. LeBron still has a claim to the best player in the league, but he is on his last leg and if ANT knocks him and Luka out of the playoffs, the conversation has to be had.
Star watch: Lakers
Other than the game that Luka had food poisoning and was a shade of himself, this has been Luka’s coming of age moment as a Laker. We have said it since the trade, him being in LA takes a lot of the pressure off of LeBron on the offensive end. Luka brings the ball up and creates off the dribble most of his time on the floor. His numbers in this series have reflected that. Luka has 30+ points in three of the four games, averaging a shade under 31 ppg, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. It’s true that his assists have dropped since the regular season and that could be a reason the Lakers are down 3-1 coming into tonight. He needs to be a distributor to start the game and get his teammates involved before getting his points. He will get his. That’s easy for him. What’s tougher is getting everyone else going early in the game.
The foul, and the Hawkeye
If you’re a Timberwolves fans, you are ecstatic with the call at the end of the game on Monday night. With 10 seconds left in the 4th quarter, Anthony Edwards drove to the basket, seemed to slip and lost the ball out of bounds. The Lakers would have got the ball down by 1 with a chance to win the game. ANT immediately told the bench to challenge it, and after a long debate and a seemingly never seen before angle that came from the roof of the Target Center, a foul was called on LeBron and ANT went to the line where he iced the game.
Game 4 recap
Game 4, like most of the games in this series was played on a knifes edge. There wasn’t much separating these two teams from Target Center on Monday night. The Lakers led for a big majority of the game, but the Wolves were nipping at their heels all night. Luka Doncic was great, scoring 38 points, but had just 2 assists and when he is limited in his distribution the Lakers suffer. LeBron had 27, 12 and 8 but was kept quiet in the 4th quarter as Anthony Edwards switched to another gear and led his team to the win. ANT had 43 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists and made the play of the night was on a play that he originally turned the ball over, but after a challenge was ruled to have been fouled and went to the FT line with 10.1 second on the clock. He sunk both FTs to put MIN up 3, and Austin Reaves missed a desperation three as the buzzer sounded.
We are live from Crypto.com Arena
Hello everyone and welcome to LA where the Lakers have dug themselves a hole that not many in NBA history have got themselves out of. After a narrow loss in Minnesota on Monday night, the Lakers are back home and looking to keep their season alive in this win or go home match up from Crypto.com Arena. LeBron James and Luka Doncic have been really good in the four games so far this series, but Anthony Edwards and his supporting cast have been fantastic and now the 6 seed is on the verge of knocking out the three seed. LA need to show desperation tonight, but that might open the door for the Wolves to land a killer blow in front of the Lakers fans tonight from the Crypt.
Wolves vs. Lakers Game 5 live
It’s an elimination game for the team that was the story of the year. All year LeBron James, JJ Redick and then Luka Doncic were in the national spotlight, and there was a lot expected from this LA team after a midseason trade that launched them into the conversation for favorites in the Western Conference. The Minnesota Timberwolves have a chance to put an end to those hopes and dreams tonight in Game 5 tonight from Cyrpto.com Arena and AS English will be with you all night long providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of tonight’s must win match up for the Lakers.