Lakers forward LeBron James limps past coach JJ Redick to the bench after injuring his knee against the Timberwolves iduring Game 5 at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
LeBron James wouldn’t commit to a decision about his future Wednesday night, striking a similar tone to his post-series comments after losses in the previous two years.
“I don't have an answer to that,” James said to questions about his future. “[It’s] something I sit down with my family, my wife and my support group and kind of just talk through it and see what happens. And just have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play.
“I don't know the answer to that right now to be honest.”
Lakers forward LeBron James dunks during the second quarter of a loss to the Timberwolves during Game 5 of their NBA playoff series Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
He has a player option for next season worth $52.6 million.
“I think the only thing is it is up to me or if I want to continue to play or how long continue to play,” he said. “It's ultimately up to me. So it has nothing to do about anybody else.”
In his 22nd season, James played 70 games and averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds. In a wild testament to his continued work ethic, he shot a career-high 78.2% from the free-throw line. In Game 3 against Minnesota, James scored 38 points, the most ever scored in a playoff game by a player 40 years old or older.
Asked about retirement during the season, James said he was comfortable with the thought.
“It won’t be because I can’t play this game at a high level. It won’t be because of that,” he said Dec. 30 on his 40th birthday. “Because to be honest, if I really wanted to, I could probably play this game at a high level probably for about another — it’s weird that I might say this — but probably about another five to seven years, if I wanted to. But I’m not going to do that.”
James emerged as one of the Lakers’ defensive leaders and took on an even bigger role on that side of the court following the team’s trade for Luka Doncic that cost them Anthony Davis.
Wednesday, James jokingly refused to comment when asked about the Lakers needing to play small lineups after the trade, referencing Davis' open desire for the team to acquire a center.
"My guy A.D. said what he needed, and he was gone the following week. So I got no comment," he said to laughs. "With that uniform on every night, I gave everything I had. And that's all that matters."
Coach JJ Redick consistently praised James’ competitive endurance throughout the season. Wednesday, James gave a full-on endorsement to Redick for his first season on the Lakers’ bench.
“I don't know what the roster will look like. I don't know where I stand right now, but I think whatever happens, I think JJ is gonna continue to grow,” James said Wednesday. “Thought he had a hell of a rookie campaign for a rookie coach. And it's a lot different being a rookie coach. It's already hard being a rookie coach in the NBA. And it's a hell of a lot harder being a rookie head coach coaching the Lakers. It's a whole ‘nother ball game.
“And I thought he handled it extremely well. I thought he just learned every single day, held us accountable. He pushed us. I thought JJ and his coaching staff were great throughout the whole season. That was pretty cool.”
James almost certainly will make his 21st consecutive All-NBA team, a run of sustained greatness that’s never been equaled. He also accomplished a personal goal of playing with his oldest son, Bronny. The two became the NBA's first father-and-son teammates on opening night and the first father and son to score in the same game Oct. 30 in Cleveland.
After playing on the second night of back-to-back games out of the All-Star break, James pointed to a continued passion for his sport and a responsibility to show Bronny how to be a professional.
Lakers forward LeBron James taps his chest before his team faced the Timberwolves during Game 5 of their NBA playoff series Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
“I still love the game and I still got a lot to give to the game, to give to my teammates, to give to this league for while I’m here. I don’t have much time left,” James said in February. “So, while I’m here today in this time, I’m going to try to give what I got when I’m out on the floor. So, why? It’s the love of the game and I have an opportunity now to show my son the ranks of how to be a professional in this league.”
Wednesday in his final comments, James called playing with his son his greatest achievement in the NBA.
“That's easy,” he said. “It is not even close. To be able to play the game that I love and to be able to be along with my son this whole year has been one of the most gratifying, satisfying journeys I've ever been on.”
Lakers forward LeBron James talks to a referee as he walks to the bench alongside teammate Luka Doncic during their Game 5 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Once again, excitement became embarrassment.
Once again, a promise was broken.
Once again, the Lakers weren’t fast enough or skilled enough or deep enough or strong enough.
Lakers forward LeBron James looks frustrated while watching Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert dunk the ball during Game 5 of their NBA playoff series Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
But it’s rarely felt this bad.
Rarely has Crypto.com Arena been as quiet while a playoff game was being played as it was Wednesday in the final minute of a 103-96 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
With 39 seconds left, fans silently filled the aisles and literally turned their back on their beloved Lakers, who historically dropped this first-round series four games to one.
Historically, because it was the first time the Lakers have lost a first-round series as a three-seed or higher.
No, they have never folded this dramatically.
“Disappointment,” said LeBron James. “Unfulfillment.”
He could say that again. Disappointment in that they had finished the season as one of the best teams in the league. Unfulfillment in that many thought they were worthy of a march toward a championship.
They lost because Minnesota was everything they wanted to be, but were not.
They lost because Minnesota was tougher in the clutch, out-scoring the Lakers by 42 points in the series' five fourth quarters.
Timberwolves forward Julius Randle scores while putting his hand on the face of Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt during Game 5 of their NBA playoff series Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
They lost because Minnesota wasn’t about the hype, the Timberwolves were about the struggle, the battle for each possession, doubling their second-chance points on Wednesday, competing in each individual battle as if it were their last.
They lost because Minnesota was stronger in the paint, dominating the Lakers so thoroughly that Wednesday’s game-leading scorer was defensive specialist Rudy Gobert, who had 27 points and 24 rebounds against a defenseless Laker interior.
Minnesota was more of a team, more collaborative, more together, more committed.
“They were just the better team this series, to be honest,” said Dorian Finney-Smith.
To be honest, the game was played as if the Lakers were already beaten, as if their pregame chant was a reprise of former guard Nick Van Exel’s infamous “1-2-3 Cancun!” chant in 1998 before the Lakers were swept by the Utah Jazz.
The Lakers were on the brink of elimination, yet it was the Timberwolves who played with desperation. The Lakers were on the verge of ending their season on their home court, yet it was the Timberwolves who played with all the passion.
The Timberwolves jumped to a 14-point lead in the first quarter and settled into a 10-point lead at halftime with an even bigger edge in body language.
The Lakers came back to briefly take the lead at the end of the third quarter, and even led by a point on a Doncic rainbow jumper with 6:29 remaining, but what ensued was typical of a team that had no idea how to play with their backs against the wall.
Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker drives past Lakers forward LeBron James and his teammates late in Game 5 of their first round NBA playoff series Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
James airball. Gobert follow-up dunk. Maxi Kleber — what was he doing in the game? — miss. James miss. Doncic miss. James miss. Kleber stepped on the baseline. And so on.
The game ended appropriately with Minnesota’s Naz Reid grabbing an offensive rebound off a Timberwolves missed free throw attempt and hugging the ball like Minnesota hugged this victory.
That fourth quarter showed some of the Lakers vulnerability, starting with James’ age. He clearly wore down, as he made just two baskets in the last two fourth quarters.
Then there was Reaves, who had a generally lousy series with five baskets in the four fourth quarters and eight of 10 missed pointers in the deciding game.
“You can point the finger at me,” Reaves said. “I didn’t play good enough for us to be successful.”
Reaves is right. He was their biggest disappointment. But help could be coming for all of them.
While any first-round loss is a stain on the Lakers' legacy, at least this loss comes with hope.
Hope that this team is not far from being a championship team. Hope that this coach is not far from being an outstanding coach. Hope that they are closer to greatness than this loss to the Timberwolves would indicate.
Remember, for all of their veteran savvy, this team is still a relative toddler, the two best players having been together barely three months and their coach in his first year.
“We just probably need a little more time together,” said Finney-Smith.
James and Doncic will mesh better next season if both return, and both are expected to return.
James has all but confirmed that he wants to end his career as a Lakers, so he’s not expected to use his player option to flee, and he’s aged so incredibly, even his biggest critics must admit that he should stay.
In recent years, this space has repeatedly called for James to be traded, but no more. This year he proved that his entertainment value outweighs any burden his contract places on the roster, and now that he has the exciting Doncic as his running mate, his veteran leadership could actually lead to one more title in the probable two years before he calls it quits.
“I don’t have an answer to that,” said James late Wednesday when asked about retirement. “We’ll see.”
The Lakers bench watches the action during the second quarter of the team's Game 5 playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
He always says that. And he’s always returned.
Doncic could also leave by expressing such unhappiness that the Lakers would be forced to trade him before his contract expires after next season, but he seems to like it here.
Doncic is a top-five talent, he’s fun, he’s embraceable, he’s the perfect person to lead the Lakers into the next era.
If Doncic is actually given a preseason to work with James and Reaves, who knows what they can accomplish?
“Anytime you make a big acquisition in the middle of the season it’s always going to be challenging,” said James. “The whole dynamic changed. I still don’t think we had enough time to mesh.”
Find somebody who will ensure that Rudy Gobert doesn’t become Michael Jordan.
Find the one big thing that would also maximize Doncic’s talent and take this team to the next level.
Luka needs a lob partner. He needs a rim protector. He needs the sort of big man that he had in Dallas when he led the Mavs to that improbable NBA Finals appearance.
Everyone thought the Lakers had this big man this winter when Pelinka followed Doncic’s stunning acquisition with a trade for Charlotte’s Mark Williams.
But then the Lakers got cold feet. They worried that they overpaid for Williams, worried that he was too immature for their smart veteran system, and eventually that worry turned a bad physical exam into a deal killer.
They gave Williams back to Charlotte, and Jaxson Hayes was given the job, and by Wednesday night he wasn’t even trusted to play a minute, and so now Pelinka is back to square one.
Find a center.
“We couldn’t get rebounds,” said Rui Hachimura. “We need somebody to get rebounds.”
Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert shoots in front of Lakers forwards LeBron James and Rui Hachimura Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers so obviously need that somebody, on Wednesday night they were even trolled by Williams himself on X.
Redick should also be better next season. He was surprisingly adept in his rookie year as a head coach at any level, but he scuffled in the postseason. He was publicly questioned by Magic Johnson after the Lakers Game 1 loss, and then he was questioned by the rest of the basketball world after playing the same five players the entire second half of the Game 4 loss.
Redick reacted to the most recent criticism before Wednesday night’s game by barking back at a media questioner who seemed to imply that he needed to rely more on the wisdom of his veteran assistant coaches.
“Are you saying that I’m because I’m inexperienced and that was an ‘inexperienced’ decision that I made?” Redick asked. “You think I don’t talk to my assistants about rotations every single timeout?”
The questioner responded, “No, I just think a lot of coaches lean on their assistants in those situations.”
Redick fired back, saying, “As do I. Every single time. That’s a weird assumption.”
With that, Redick walked out of the press conference. That was probably going to be the last question anyway, but it was a bad look that Redick left before it officially ended.
“I can get a lot better,” Redick said of his rookie year.
His team thought he was just fine.
“JJ will continue to grow,” said James. “He had a helluva campaign for a rookie coach. I thought he handled it extremely well.”
These Lakers should continue to grow. They’d better. For all of their success, for all of their promise, the 2024-25 season can only be summed up one way.
They were entertaining, they were intriguing and they were a failure.
The extra time allows the Celtics to kick back while the Knicks and Pistons slug it out to see who will be on the other side of that Round 2 matchup. The Celtics get ample time to rest bumps and bruises, and can sit comfortably on their sofas watching the rest of the playoff action (like the rival Lakers getting bounced in Round 1 on Wednesday night).
While we await Boston’s Round 2 opponent, let’s take a look back at Round 1, and four of the biggest things we learned from the Celtics’ gentleman’s sweep of the frisky and physical Magic:
Tatum set up a residency at the free throw line, connecting on 37 straight free throws to close out the series, all while making double-digit freebies in each of the final three games.
Tatum’s averages over those last three games: 36 points, 10.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.7 steals over 38.6 minutes per game. He shot 47.6 percent from the floor and 44 percent beyond the 3-point arc. The Celtics were +42 in his 116 minutes.
Tatum even debuted a new celebration at the suggestion of rookie Baylor Scheierman, in which he clasped that injured wrist right with his left hand with arms extended over head after 3-point makes. The suggestion is seemingly that, even with their flagrant ways, the Magic couldn’t hurt Tatum. In fact, the injury only seemed to make him stronger.
Despite Tatum’s strong overall postseason play throughout his career, the knock has always been a dip in efficiency. In 39 games between the 2023 and 2024 postseasons, Tatum shot just 44.3 percent from the floor and 30.5 percent beyond the 3-point arc.
If Tatum is the offensive wrecking ball we saw in Games 3, 4, and 5 against Orlando, good luck stopping the Celtics in their quest to repeat.
Tatum’s on/off differential in Round 1 was a team-best +21.6. The Celtics outscored opponents by 21 points per 100 possessions in his 156 minutes on the court. Tatum clearly fueled Boston’s offense, but the Celtics’ defensive rating was 23.4 points per 100 possessions better with him on the court than off (a team-best 95.3 during his on-court minutes).
Pundits have wanted Tatum to play with an edge throughout his career, and the injury in Game 1 sure seemed to give Tatum an extra bit of motivation while shredding whatever defense the Magic threw at him.
Tatum also admitted to playing a bit more “carefree” so far this postseason, having won a championship that took any extra weight off his shoulders.
… Because 38-year-old Al Horford is bringing elite defense “Nite and Day.”
Horford limited the Magic to 25-of-75 shooting (33.3 percent) in Round 1. That’s 11.4 percent below expected output, per NBA tracking. Both marks led the Celtics’ regulars in the series.
Franz Wagner generated just 10 points on 4-of-22 shooting with three blocked shots when defended by Horford in the series. In Game 4, Horford held Wagner and teammate Paolo Banchero to seven points on 3-of-15 shooting overall.
He swatted five shots that night, becoming only the second player aged 38 or older to accomplish that feat. (The other: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).
Among the 118 players with more than 25 shots defended in Round 1, Horford currently ranks second in the playoffs in defensive field goal percentage, trailing only the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard (31.5 percent).
Just a couple months shy of his 39th birthday, Horford continues to elevate his play when the games matter most. Injuries to teammates had him starting four of the five games against Orlando, while his minutes have already spiked from the regular season.
Horford is vital to whatever comes next. He was Boston’s best defender against Karl-Anthony Towns if the Knicks advance, and both the Cavaliers and Pacers have talented frontcourts that will stress teams on both ends of the floor.
3. The Celtics can win without the 3
The Celtics set an NBA record for 3-pointers with 1,457 makes during the regular season. They hoisted a staggering 48.2 attempts per game and put teams in a math bind with their “3 is greater than 2” strategy.
Pundits breathlessly wondered how Boston would win if it didn’t make 3-pointers in the playoffs. Then the Celtics drew the Magic, the best team in the league at taking away the 3, and showed they could diversify.
The Celtics averaged just 11.8 3-point makes on 31.2 attempts per game in Round 1 (down from 17.8 and 48.2 in the regular season). That essentially forced Boston to make up 18 points of production in alternate ways, which the team did, including with a noticeable uptick in scoring at the free throw line.
Orlando’s anemic offense certainly helped mask the Celtics’ lack of 3-point makes, but the C’s were forced to find other ways to generate their own points. More encouraging is that it feels like the floodgates could open if future opponents aren’t able to take away that shot to the level the Magic did.
It didn’t help that Kristaps Porzingis battled a “janky” shot while shooting 11.8 percent beyond the 3-point arc in Round 1. Even the ever-steady Derrick White dipped to 35.9 percent from 3-point range.
Getting those guys back to their regular-season levels is important moving forward. But the shot quality almost has to spike after the Magic did everything in their power to run the Celtics off the line for much of the series.
4. Health is vital in quest to repeat
For the second straight season, the Celtics just keep chugging whenever injuries leave them shorthanded. Boston lost Tatum for Game 2 and watched Jaylen Brown turn in a gem to open a 2-0 series lead.
Jrue Holiday missed three games with a hamstring injury, and the Celtics tripped up just once. And all this comes one year after Porzingis appeared in just seven of Boston’s 19 playoff games.
And yet, Round 1 was a reminder of how vital health can be. The Celtics are blessed with depth, but there’s a noticeable impact when you don’t have Holiday and his defensive versatility available. The margin for error gets slimmer when Brown’s knee ailment leaves him at something less than 100 percent on a given night.
The Celtics are fortunate to have quality depth. Even in a series in which he struggled to have a consistent offensive impact, Sam Hauser finished with a team-best on-court rating of +26.9. Payton Pritchard had a couple quiet offensive games on the road but played inspired defense throughout and had a +20.4 net rating in 134 minutes of court time.
It’s still jarring that only one Celtics lineup played more than 18 minutes together in Round 1. The double-big starting group of Horford, Porzingis, Brown, Tatum, and White logged 39 minutes over four games but had a minus-13.9 net rating in that span. Another double-big lineup with Kornet in place of Porzingis got the second-most minutes (18 over three appearances) and had a minus-21.5 net rating.
The Celtics otherwise cobbled it together throughout Round 1 and still found a way to win four of five games. On the positive side: The preferred starting five with Holiday in the mix had a +44.4 net rating in a small 13-minute sample. That’s still encouraging after that group struggled to find its footing at times during the regular season.
The Magic were feisty. Bigger challenges are almost certainly on their way. The Celtics need all their horses to navigate whatever is ahead.
Dillon Brooks offered a short but direct explanation for the late-game scuffle between Houston Rockets and Warriors players in Game 5 of their Western Conference playoff matchup Wednesday night at Toyota Center.
Brooks sat at the podium next to Rockets center Alperen Şengün, who also was involved in the physical altercation but didn’t comment on the incident. Instead, he let Brooks explain and smirked at his response.
#Rockets beat the Warriors 131-116 to force a game 6 Friday
— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) May 1, 2025
The game was well over before the clock read 0:00 as the Rockets led by as many as 31 points before Warriors coach Steve Kerr cleared his bench and pulled his starters with five minutes remaining in the third quarter.
But Golden State’s second- and third-stringers built some momentum and managed to bring the game within 13 points with about five minutes remaining in the contest. And as the deficit decreased, the tension increased.
Midway through the final frame, Spencer was bumped by Şengün during a dead ball, who responded by headbumping the All-Star. Warriors center Trayce Jackson-Davis immediately came to his teammate’s defense, shoving Şengün away before players were separated.
Officials reviewed the play and assessed offsetting technical fouls to Jackson-Davis and Şengün. Spencer received a technical foul and was ejected for an illegal headbutt.
In what already had been a heated previous four games between the two teams, that was no different for the Rockets against the Warriors’ reserves.
And you can bet that will be the same for Game 6 at Chase Center as the Warriors look to close the series out and advance to the Western Conference semifinals.
LeBron James has won four NBA Championships [Getty Images]
LeBron James says he is unsure if he will continue his NBA career next season after the Los Angeles Lakers were knocked out of the first round of the play-offs by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The 40-year-old, in his 22nd season as a professional, was unable to prevent the Timberwolves completing a 4-1 series victory with a 103-96 win in game five at the Crypto.com Arena.
James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, had been hoping to win a fifth championship this season.
James, who signed a two-year deal with the Lakers in 2024, says he will take time in the off-season to consider his future.
Asked how many more years he will continue to play, James said: "I don't know.
"It's something that I will sit down with my family, my wife, and my support group and kind of just talk through and see what happens, and just have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play."
After a 74-game campaign, James said the opportunity to play alongside Bronny - becoming the first father-son duo in NBA history - was the highlight of his season.
"Number one, for sure," said James.
"That's not even close. To be able to play the game that I love and to be able to be alongside my son, this whole year has been one of the most gratifying, satisfying journeys I've ever been on."
Rudy Gobert registered 27 points and 24 rebounds for the Timberwolves.
"It feels great," he said. "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, and a lot of guys who have been through adversity throughout their career and their life, and we love each other.
"All the things we went through throughout the season prepared us for this moment."
Rockets cut Warriors lead
The Timberwolves will face the Golden State Warriors or the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semi-finals.
The Rockets kept their play-off hopes alive with a 131-116 win against the Warriors in game five, cutting their series deficit to 3-2.
Fred VanVleet scored 26 points for the Rockets, while Amen Thompson added 25 and Dillon Brooks 24 at Toyota Center.
The Rockets led by 31 points at one stage, and Warriors coach Steve Kerr substituted many of his starters in the third quarter in order to keep them fresh for game six.
"We can't come out with that lack of defensive focus and energy and expect to beat a great team on their home floor," said Kerr.
"They took it to us - they were awesome tonight."
Game six takes place at 02:00 BST on Saturday at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Apr 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) gets the ball against Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) during the first half in game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
It was clear over the last five games that Minnesota has figured out how to make its reconfigured roster work and how to play to its strengths. That starts with Anthony Edwards, who was the best player in this series — one also featuring Doncic and LeBron James.
Minnesota was the more physical team, the one that dominated the paint and the possession game. The Lakers didn't have a playable center and leaned into a small-ball lineup the Timberwolves overwhelmed.
"This team took a lot of s*** through the season, and that was set against the backdrop of a really good run last year," Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. "But every team is different, and every team has to come together, and every team has to go through pain, and every team has to figure it out, and this team figured it out."
Wednesday night they figured out how to win when their shots were not falling — Minnesota was 7-of-47 (14.9%) on 3-pointers — by getting inside and making plays at the rim. Rudy Gobert thrived in this style of game — he had nine offensive rebounds off all those misses — and finished with 27 points on 12-of-15 shooting, plus grabbing 24 rebounds.
RUDY GOBERT DOMINATES INSIDE TO LIFT THE @Timberwolves INTO THE WEST SEMIS!
27 PTS 24 REB (9 OREB) 2 BLK 80.0 FG% (12-15 FGM)
Gobert is just the FOURTH player to record 25/20 on 80+ FG% in a playoff game... and the first since 1996 pic.twitter.com/UFAgmqZQE0
That, along with another strong defensive outing, helped the Timberwolves win Game 5 103-96, and with that, they take the series 4-1.
Minnesota now goes home and gets to heal up and rest after a physical series. It will travel to face the winner of the Golden State vs. Houston series, with that second-round series starting on May 5 or 6 (depending on whether the Warriors close out the series in Game 6 on Friday).
The Lakers head into an offseason where they have the time to build out the roster around Doncic and (likely) LeBron, work on chemistry, and do the things they didn’t have time to do after the mid-season Doncic trade shook things up.
The playoffs put a magnifying glass on a team’s weaknesses and the Lakers’ were clear — this team needs a rim-protecting big who can be a vertical finisher. It's the role Derrick Lively II played in Dallas alongside Doncic, the Lakers need to find their version of that player. The Lakers also need more perimeter defenders and shooting. When the Lakers find their footing next season, we shouldn’t all be asking “who is their fourth-best player?” Or fifth? Or…
The Lakers changed their defense up in Game 5 and blitzed Anthony Edwards a lot more, trying to get the ball out of his hands. To his credit, Ant made the right reads and threw the right passes, but the Timberwolves were ice cold shooting from the opening tip, so the Lakers never paid the price.
"We didn't shoot the ball well, but I thought we were the tougher team, mentally and physically, and that's when it showed itself," Finch said.
Where the Lakers paid the price on the offensive glass — Minnesota’s size and physicality led to them getting the offensive rebound on 34% of their missed shots in Game 5. The result was the Timberwolves having 15 more true shot attempts — they dominated the possession game.
All that was too much for the Lakers to overcome with an offense that too rarely got on track in this series.
Doncic led the Lakers with 28 points, and a hot Rui Hachimura hit five 3-pointers on his way to 23 points. LeBron added 22 points on 9-of-21 shooting.
Randle may have been seen outside Minnesota as a downgrade at the four after the KAT trade, but he was brilliant in this series and had 23 points in the close-out game plus played strong defense.
Luka Doncic and LeBron James absorb the final moments of the Game 5 loss. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The shirt’s been inside LeBron James’ extra locker since the day he received it, a facsimile of the Lakers’ iconic golden jerseys with No. 77 on the front and “Doncic" on the back.
James wore a shirt exactly like it during pregame warmups on Feb. 10, a very public signal from someone rarely subtle that he was ready to embrace the partnership put on him when the Lakers made the midseason trade that gave the team two of the NBA’s best big-game players.
But in the Game 5 loss to Minnesota that ended their season Wednesday, Luka Doncic was grimacing after a foul jammed his lower back in the first half. And James barely put weight on his left leg as he limped off the court in the fourth quarter.
Still, with a little more than seven minutes to go, the two were on the court, the Lakers ready to back up the widely held belief that the closer the game, the better off they’d be because of their leaders.
The scoreboard in Crypto.com Arena showed highlights of Doncic and James, their No. 77 and No. 23 uniforms adding up to 100, with just three minutes to go and the Lakers down two.
But like it did late in fourth quarters throughout this first-round playoff series, the math never added up.
And the duo couldn’t lift the Lakers to the heights they thought possible.
And even as that Doncic shirt hung inside the Lakers’ locker room for the last time, hope that had been built over the last two months evaporated as the Lakers again failed to win the biggest moments, a 103-96 loss ending their season after just five games in the first round.
James admitted postgame that the midseason trade that landed the Lakers Doncic obviously changed the team’s identity, shifting ball-handling duties heavily from him and Austin Reaves into Doncic’s hands.
“That whole obviously dynamic changed when we made the acquisition of Luka to how can we change our approach to best fit his game and how can we center our game around his,” James said. “And I think it's always challenging when you, you make a, like I said, a big acquisition like that.”
It didn’t matter that Minnesota missed 40 three-point shots, the most by a team in a postseason win. The Timberwolves seemed to grab every rebound. It didn’t matter that Anthony Edwards was just five for 19 from the field — the Lakers couldn ‘t capitalize. And it didn’t matter that the Lakers were on their home court, Minnesota silencing the fans as it defensively dominated the fourth quarter for the fifth straight game.
Luka Doncic crashes into the crowd while trying to get the ball in the second quarter. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers coach JJ Redick sacrificed size for quickness and spacing, benching center Jaxson Hayes and starting Dorian Finney-Smith like he did in the second half of Game 4. This time Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert made the Lakers pay with playoff career highs of 27 points and 24 rebounds.
No one was more impactful — a bad sign for the Lakers. Doncic had 28 points on seven-for-18 shooting. James scored 22 on nine-for-21 shooting. Austin Reaves had only 12.
“I didn't have the series that I wanted to have. You could point the finger at me. I really don't care. I wasn't good enough to help us be successful and I wish I could have did more, but I didn't,” Reaves said. “I struggled. You live and you learn. And I guarantee that I'll, get back to work this off season and be better.”
All series things never looked easy for the Lakers.
The bulk of that credit should go to Minnesota, which not only looked like the more cohesive team but also functioned as one designed almost explicitly to highlight every one of the Lakers’ blemishes.
The Lakers, who won games by playing hard, lost to a team that always seemed to play harder. The Lakers, who earned home-court advantage by being tougher, lost to a team that was tougher. And the Lakers, who looked like they could beat anyone in the regular season, lost to a team that they obviously couldn’t.
Redick, who described the Lakers as “on edge” in the practice before Game 5, angrily responded to a pregame question that implied he needed to lean on his assistant coaches to better handle late-game substitutions.
His team quickly fell behind. Minnesota's Julius Randle, the first piece of the Lakers’ post-Kobe Bryant plans, looked like the bulldozing tone-setter the team envisioned when it took him in the first round in 2014.
LeBron James cringes in pain after injuring his leg in the second half. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
James and Doncic, who owned the top two scoring averages in elimination games in NBA history, made just one of eight shots in the first quarter. With each miss, the murmurs from the crowd grew longer, the fans mirroring the Lakers and their fading chances.
The team pushed early in the second quarter as Randle and Jaden McDaniels, maybe the series most valuable player, sat with foul trouble, allowing the Lakers to get within a single possession on multiple occasions.
But in the moments when the Lakers and their stars needed to capitalize, they looked more like separate entities than an unstoppable force. James tried to find Doncic as he flared to the corner and threw a pass directly to Edwards. Doncic couldn’t play on the defensive string the Lakers all needed to be pulling on, Minnesota’s easy baskets leading to James’ open frustration toward the Lakers’ bench.
But with their season on the line, the Lakers did something they’d rarely done all season: They dominated the third quarter. The Lakers fought back from 14 down to lead on a Dorian Finney-Smith three, trading scores with the Timberwolves to trail by just one heading to the fourth.
But like it did all series, that’s when things dried up. The Lakers managed just 16 points in the fourth on Wednesday and averaged just 17 fourth-quarter points in the series.
“We executed great in the fourth quarter,” Redick said. “Missed shots at the rim, missed a bunch of 3s, shot 12-for-52 for the series in the fourth quarter from three … We obviously put ourselves in a position to be in the game three times in the fourth quarter, and just came up short every time.
“But, the offensive part of it in particular tonight, I mean, we missed wide open threes, we missed a couple of shots at the rim. We got good looks”
It's the first time the Lakers ever lost a first-round series as a No. 3 or higher seed. They fell to 2-12 in their last three playoff series.
“Yeah, there's obviously a lot of different things we can do, I can do,” Doncic said. “Obviously, everybody got to get better. We're gonna have a long summer. And should focus on what we can improve as a team and as individuals, everybody."
Apr 28, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) points during the first quarter of game four of the 2025 NBA Playoffs first round against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
HOUSTON (AP) Pushed the the brink of elimination, the Houston Rockets delivered a playoff gem Wednesday night to beat the Golden State Warriors and keep their season alive.
Fred VanVleet scored 26 points, Amen Thompson added 25 and the Rockets extended their first-round playoff series with a 131-116 rout in Game 5.
“Nobody wants to go home,” Alperen Sengun said.
Game 6 is Friday in San Francisco.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr threw in the towel early in this one with the game out of hand. A layup by VanVleet midway through the third quarter made it 93-64, and Kerr called timeout and cleared his bench.
Houston coach Ime Udoka followed suit with about a minute to go in the third and his team up 105-76. He put all his starters back in with about eight minutes left after Golden State cut the lead to 109-92.
Dillon Brooks added 24 points on a night when all five Houston scored in double figures.
VanVleet, a nine-year veteran who won a title with Toronto in 2019, tried to encourage his young teammates by reminding them that they've been in every game.
“Keep everything light and fresh and and confident and understand that we have played good basketball,” he said. “It's not like we were getting our (expletive) kicked the whole time.”
A 9-5 run by the Warriors got them within 114-101 before a fracas broke out with about four minutes to go. Pat Spencer pushed Brooks and then was ejected after headbutting Alperen Sengun in the ensuing scuffle.
Houston went on a 7-2 run after that to put the game away.
“Houston was great and they took it to us right away,” Kerr said. “But like I said, it was an important finish.”
Reserve Moses Moody led the Warriors with 25 points. Golden State's 76 bench points were the most in a playoff game for the franchise since 1970-71, when starters began being tracked.
The Rockets put together their best performance this postseason after losing both games in California, including Game 3, which Jimmy Butler sat out with an injury.
“We came out aggressive, executed offensively and defensively,” Jalen Green said. “We had a professional approach and handled business.”
The Rockets raced to a 14-point lead after one quarter and by the time Stephen Curry made his first basket on a 3-pointer midway through the second, they led 55-32.
They had a 27-point lead at halftime behind 19 points from VanVleet.
Butler managed just eight points in 25 minutes on 2-of-10 shooting after combining for 52 points in the two full games he’d played in this series.
Curry was 4 of 12 for 13 points after scoring more than 30 points in two of the first four games to move the Warriors within a game of clinching the series.
The Warriors made 15 of 44 3-pointers and shot 41.7% overall. The Rockets made 13 of 30 3s and shot 55.1%.
By extending the series, the Rockets have a chance to become the 14th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit in a best-of-seven series. Houston has done it twice, most recently in the 2015 Western Conference semifinals against the Clippers.
The Warriors were on the wrong end of such a comeback, losing the 2016 NBA Finals to LeBron James and Cleveland after having a 3-1 advantage.
Golden State has dominated the Rockets in the playoffs, eliminating them four times between 2015 and 2019.
Dyson Daniels has won the NBA’s most improved player award with an average of 14.1 points and three steals per game this season.Photograph: Kevin C Cox/Getty Images
Australian basketballer Dyson Daniels has declared he can still get better after winning the NBA’s prestigious Most Improved Player award. The George Mikan Trophy is awarded for the player who shows the most progress between seasons.
Daniels was selected eighth in the 2022 draft, but started only 25 games in two seasons for New Orleans before he was traded to Atlanta last year. He was in the Hawks’ starting five for all 76 appearances this season.
“I came into the third year wanting to really put my foot down and go out there and show what I could do,” Daniels told the NBA on TNT broadcast. “I think it was just a small step in the right direction this year, and I feel like I’ve got a lot more in me.”
Playing alongside all-star teammate Trae Young, Daniels made the most of the opportunity with Atlanta. He averaged 14.1 points per game, an increase of 8.3 on the previous season, and three steals per contest, the highest figure in the league.
The man given the nickname “The Great Barrier Thief” recorded 229 takeaways in all, the most in a season in almost 30 years. He was also among three nominees for the league’s defensive player of the year award, won by Cleveland’s Evan Mobley.
The 22-year-old said landing at Atlanta gave him a fresh start. “It’s just coming in with the right mindset, working hard in the offseason, having a good Olympic campaign, and going out there and being aggressive, being myself, and not caring about making mistakes,” he said.
“The main theme this year is I got trust in my coaches, trust in my teammates, and I was able to go out there and just be myself.”
Daniels earned first place votes from 44 of the award’s 100 voters, delivering him 332 total points based on a 5-3-1 voting system.
Los Angeles Clippers’ centre Ivica Zubac finished second with 186 points, and Detroit guard Cade Cunningham attracted 122. Daniels’ Australian backcourt teammate, Chicago’s Josh Giddey, finished 10th in voting.
The executive who traded Daniels from New Orleans last year, David Griffin, said in a visit to Australia in March the deal was “the right thing to do at the right time”.
The trade included Daniels, two first-round draft picks and other players in exchange for guard Dejounte Murray. Murray ruptured his Achilles tendon in January and Griffin was fired as the Pelicans’ executive vice president two weeks ago.
Daniels helped the Hawks finish ninth in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, but the team lost a painful play-in match against Miami in overtime.
The Australian, who grew grew up in Bendigo – a hotbed of Australian basketball talent – has returned to stay with his family in Melbourne following the conclusion of the season.
His older brother Kai plays VFL with Richmond, and his younger brother Dash is due to play in the NBL with Melbourne United later this year as part of the Next Star programme.
The Dallas Mavericks general manager may have been watching from home, but his thought process about trading Luka Doncic came to the spotlight.
Doncic, in particular, struggled to impose himself defensively despite posting strong offensive numbers. The Los Angeles Lakers also saw their lack of depth play a factor, as the five starters accumulated heavy minutes to compensate for a feeble bench.
Los Angeles worked its way up the Western Conference ladder to the No. 3 seed following the Doncic trade, but playoffs expose team’s weaknesses. The No. 6-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves delivered when it mattered, with Julius Randle also enjoying a solid series given his past woes.
The first postseason of the LeBron James-Doncic era ends in early failure, with Rob Pelinka having more work to do as James turns 41 next season.
Here’s how social media reacted to the Lakers’ elimination, which included the Mavericks’ GM:
Nico Harrison was right he just didn't piece together the proper trade package
Nico Harrison ain’t going to sleep tonight until somebody crunches the numbers and posts the total points Luka scored vs total points he gave up as the the primary defender this series
— ✨🦫America Is Musty🦫✨ (@DragonflyJonez) May 1, 2025
Anthony Edwards last three series wins:
— Knocked out Luka and LeBron — Knocked out Jokic and Murray — Knocked out KD and Book
Luka is my favorite player, but idk how you don’t do some deep soul searching after this offseason. He’s going to need to lock competely in and hopefully this is the offseason that ultimately changes his career for the better
The Dallas Mavericks general manager may have been watching from home, but his thought process about trading Luka Doncic came to the spotlight.
Doncic, in particular, struggled to impose himself defensively despite posting strong offensive numbers. The Los Angeles Lakers also saw their lack of depth play a factor, as the five starters accumulated heavy minutes to compensate for a feeble bench.
Los Angeles worked its way up the Western Conference ladder to the No. 3 seed following the Doncic trade, but playoffs expose team’s weaknesses. The No. 6-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves delivered when it mattered, with Julius Randle also enjoying a solid series given his past woes.
The first postseason of the LeBron James-Doncic era ends in early failure, with Rob Pelinka having more work to do as James turns 41 next season.
Here’s how social media reacted to the Lakers’ elimination, which included the Mavericks’ GM:
Nico Harrison was right he just didn't piece together the proper trade package
Nico Harrison ain’t going to sleep tonight until somebody crunches the numbers and posts the total points Luka scored vs total points he gave up as the the primary defender this series
— ✨🦫America Is Musty🦫✨ (@DragonflyJonez) May 1, 2025
Anthony Edwards last three series wins:
— Knocked out Luka and LeBron — Knocked out Jokic and Murray — Knocked out KD and Book
Luka is my favorite player, but idk how you don’t do some deep soul searching after this offseason. He’s going to need to lock competely in and hopefully this is the offseason that ultimately changes his career for the better
For his first two NBA seasons, Dyson Daniels was fighting just to get minutes off the bench in a crowded New Orleans guard rotation. He was improving, but not getting a chance to show off that growth.
Then this summer he was traded to Atlanta as part of the Dejounte Murray deal. Atlanta was starved for quality two-way wings and gave Daniels a legitimate chance — and he thrived.
He averaged 14.1 points and 5.9 rebounds a game while playing elite defense, finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Daniels improved his scoring by +8.3 points per game, rebounds by +2.0 per game, assists by +1.7 per game, and steals by +1.62 per game from last season.
All that earned him the NBA's Most Improved Player award.
Daniels got 44 first-place votes from the panel of 100 global media members who vote on the awards.
Clippers big man Ivica Zubac — who has had a standout playoffs after a great regular season — came in second in the voting (23 first-place votes), with Pistons star Cade Cunningham (15) third. The Nuggets' Christian Braun (9) and the Lakers' Austin Reaves (3) rounded out the top five.
When the award was announced on TNT's Inside the NBA, the Bendigo, Australia, native did the interview from his home in the island nation — with his father making an appearance in the background.
Stephen Curry’s swollen right thumb looks as if it would be uncomfortable holding a toothbrush or tying shoes, much less pulling the Warriors through the NBA playoffs.
There is no doubt the Houston Rockets have noticed the wrap that extends from Curry’s thumb to his wrist. They sense a possible weakness, and every team hunts vulnerabilities once in the playoffs. Coincidentally, basketball is very much a contact sport for the Rockets.
They’re making plenty of contact with Curry’s right thumb, which is at the base of the release of his jump shot, and Warriors coach Steve Kerr is more annoyed by it than Curry.
“I don’t think it’s impacting him,” Kerr told reporters in Houston after the 131-116 Game 5 loss to the Rockets. “Players are going to do whatever they’re allowed to do. And, so, on every release Steph’s getting hit.
“But it’s basically within the rules. So that’s how the league wants it right now. I know we’ve got 30 coaches who all think it’s just idiotic that we allow this.”
"It's the dumbest thing I've ever heard, but we have to take it through the league process to get that changed."
Kerr wants to see rule a change after the Rockets went at Steph's thumb all night pic.twitter.com/U2GmUF3ZmD
The NBA rulebook allows “minimal contact” from a defender once a shot is released. Officials are allowed to use discretion on the definition of “minimal contact.” The Rockets – particularly Dillon Brooks, Amen Thompson and Alperen Şengun – generally don’t operate with a minimal contact approach.
“There’s a pattern of when it’s full extension, when it’s the full point of release, because it’s hard for a ref,” Curry said. “I get it. You’re trying to look at the body, look at the release, where contact is. There’s a subtle difference in how certain people do it. When I say it’s a foul, it’s a foul. But other than that, as a player, you can’t worry about it too much.”
“As a player, you can’t worry about it too much … you can complain, but if you dwell on it and get distracted by it, then you’re not worried about making shots. I’m trying to do both. Make shots and if I get fouled, like, let them know I got fouled.”
Curry played 24 minutes in the Game 5 blowout, finishing with 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting from the field, including 3 of 9 from distance and 2 of 3 from the line. He added three rebounds and seven assists, with three turnovers.
Kerr and Curry both said the tender thumb, initially sprained on New Year’s Day and aggravated countless times, is not having an impact on his performance. He’s averaging 23.4 points per game in this first-round series, shooting 48.8 percent from the field, 39.6 beyond the arc and 90 percent from the line.
In short, Curry is playing well enough for observers to forget about the sore thumb.
But it is sore.
“I do believe [officials] are allowed to call a flagrant if they want,” Kerr said. “The refs can call a flagrant if the guy winds up and takes a takes a shot. It’s been happening across the league all year long. It’s a dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.
“But we have to take it through the league process to get that changed, and that’ll probably happen this summer.”
That thumb will be an issue for as long as the Warriors remain in the postseason. Curry is determined not to let it become the issue that impacts his performance.
It would surprise no one, however, if the Rockets try to have a few more whacks at it. The rule says they can.
“You don’t think about it,” Curry said. “And if it’s a foul, they should call it. That’s it. If it’s a foul, they should call it.”
The Dallas Mavericks general manager may have been watching from home, but his thought process about trading Luka Doncic came to the spotlight.
Doncic, in particular, struggled to impose himself defensively despite posting strong offensive numbers. The Los Angeles Lakers also saw their lack of depth play a factor, as the five starters accumulated heavy minutes to compensate for a feeble bench.
Los Angeles worked its way up the Western Conference ladder to the No. 3 seed following the Doncic trade, but playoffs expose team’s weaknesses. The No. 6-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves delivered when it mattered, with Julius Randle also enjoying a solid series given his past woes.
The first postseason of the LeBron James-Doncic era ends in early failure, with Rob Pelinka having more work to do as James turns 41 next season.
Here’s how social media reacted to the Lakers’ elimination, which included the Mavericks’ GM:
Nico Harrison was right he just didn't piece together the proper trade package
Nico Harrison ain’t going to sleep tonight until somebody crunches the numbers and posts the total points Luka scored vs total points he gave up as the the primary defender this series
— ✨🦫America Is Musty🦫✨ (@DragonflyJonez) May 1, 2025
Anthony Edwards last three series wins:
— Knocked out Luka and LeBron — Knocked out Jokic and Murray — Knocked out KD and Book
Luka is my favorite player, but idk how you don’t do some deep soul searching after this offseason. He’s going to need to lock competely in and hopefully this is the offseason that ultimately changes his career for the better
Minnesota, the Western Conference’s No. 6 seed, advances to the conference semifinals, where it awaits the winner of the Golden State-Houston series.
The Warriors lost Game 5 131-116 at Toyota Center and now lead the Rockets 3-2. Game 6 is set for 6 p.m. PT on Friday at Chase Center.
If the Warriors beat the Rockets in Game 6, they would travel to Minneapolis for the start of the Western Conference semifinals, which could begin as early as Sunday.
If the Rockets force a Game 7 with the Warriors, the second-round series likely wouldn’t begin until Tuesday night.
Should the Warriors advance to face the Timberwolves, their regular-season record should benefit them, as Golden State took three of the four meetings this season.
But the Warriors have to take care of business against the Rockets first before they can think about the Timberwolves.
