The Minnesota Timberwolves slammed the playoff door on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night, sealing a 103-96 win to clinch the series 4-1 and punch their ticket to the Western Conference semifinals.
Rudy Gobert was a force of nature, powering the Wolves with 27 points and 24 rebounds in a two-way masterclass that sent the Lakers crashing out in the first round for the second straight season.
Minnesota now awaits the winner of the Golden State-Houston series, while the Lakers are left licking their wounds after another short postseason – despite the February blockbuster trade for Luka Doncic that reignited championship hopes.
The Lakers’ failure to acquire a true defensive big man after Anthony Davis’ departure to Dallas came back to haunt them Wednesday, as Gobert dominated around the rim.
The Lakers – who surged to the No. 3 seed following Doncic’s arrival – were also found wanting offensively, with James, Doncic and Austin Reaves combining for just five 3-pointers.
“It feels great,” Gobert told TNT after the win. “We had a season with ups and downs, so to come here and play the way we did means a lot.
“We just have a bunch of guys that want to win. A lot of guys have been through adversity throughout their careers and lives, and we love each other … all the things we went through this season prepared us for this moment.”
Gobert’s effort was backed by 23 points from Julius Randle, while Anthony Edwards added 15 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
Doncic led the Lakers with 28 points. Rui Hachimura chipped in 23, and James finished with 22.
Lakers coach JJ Redick blamed “too many turnovers, too many offensive rebounds” for the defeat.
“We put ourselves in a position to be in the game three times in the fourth quarter and just came up short every time,” Redick said.
The 40-year-old James, meanwhile, refused to speculate on how much longer he plans to play after an abrupt end to his 22nd NBA season.
“I don’t have an answer to that,” James said. “I’ll sit down with my wife, family and support group … have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play. We’ll see.”
Rockets romp
In Wednesday’s other playoff game, the Houston Rockets kept their season alive with a 131-116 rout of the Golden State Warriors, cutting the series deficit to 3-2.
Fred VanVleet scored 26 points, Amen Thompson added 25 points and five steals, and Dillon Brooks chipped in 24 for the Rockets. Houston led by as many as 31 and was up by 29 when Warriors coach Steve Kerr pulled Stephen Curry and the other starters with 5:50 left in the third quarter.
With their season on the line after a heartbreaker in Game 4, the Rockets blasted out of the gate.
They connected on 64.7% of their shots in the first quarter en route to a 40-24 lead. VanVleet drilled three of Houston’s six 3-pointers in the opening period, and the Rockets made all 13 of their free throws in a dominant start.
Golden State looked powerless to respond. Curry and Jimmy Butler were scoreless in the first quarter, when the Warriors committed five turnovers and didn’t attempt a free throw.
Curry’s first bucket – a 3-pointer – came midway through the second quarter, but Golden State made little headway against Houston’s smothering defense. The Rockets led 76-49 at halftime.
Kerr said he had no regrets about sitting his stars in a potential series-clinching game – giving rest to the 37-year-old Curry (playing through a thumb injury), Draymond Green, and Butler, who missed Game 3 with a pelvic issue.
Golden State will try to close out the series at home in Game 6 on Friday.
“We can’t come out with that lack of defensive focus and energy and expect to beat a great team on their home floor,” Kerr said. “They took it to us – they were awesome tonight.”