The Los Angeles Lakers faced another disappointing early exit this postseason. Despite making headlines with their blockbuster trade for Luka Doncic and teaming him up with LeBron James, the Lakers fell short in the first round. Their playoff journey came to a halt against a relentless Minnesota Timberwolves squad that proved too much to handle.
Minnesota clinched the series with a 103-96 win in Game 5 and firmly closed the door on the Lakers’ championship hopes. Throughout the series, the Timberwolves consistently outplayed Los Angeles. Even though much of the media overlooked them, Anthony Edwards and his teammates allowed the Lakers only one win in the series.
With the series win, the Timberwolves move on to the Western Conference Semifinals. While their next opponent is still undecided, they will face the winner of the ongoing series between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets. Regardless of the opponent, Minnesota looks ready to continue their strong postseason run.
MINNESOTA WINS GAME 5 & BEATS THE L.A. LAKERS IN THE SERIES, 4-1!
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) May 1, 2025
Rudy Gobert: 27 PTS, 24 REB, 2 BLK, 12/15 FGM
Timberwolves will play the winner of the Warriors vs. Rockets series! 🐺
Can Minnesota make a championship run? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/sAypHuDvzW
Rudy Gobert was instrumental in Game 5 as he delivered a monster performance with 27 points and 24 rebounds. His efforts helped secure back-to-back First Round victories for the first time in franchise history. The Wolves are now making their second straight trip to the Western Conference Semifinals.
Magic Johnson Reacts To The Minnesota Timberwolves’ Victory
The Minnesota Timberwolves are now in the spotlight. Following Minnesota’s victory over the Lakers, NBA legend Magic Johnson took to X to share his thoughts and offer congratulations.
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“Congratulations to my good friend Minnesota Timberwolves owner Alex Rodriguez, superstar Anthony Edwards and the entire Minnesota Timberwolves team for beating my Lakers and advancing to the next round. The reason the Lakers lost was because they played awful on defense, they were too small, and the Timberwolves dominated them in the paint,” Johnson wrote.
Before the game, Johnson had publicly expressed optimism about a Lakers win, but the result left him and many surprised. But after seeing the game, Johnson and most observers agree that the Timberwolves were the rightful winners of the series.
