The Minnesota Timberwolves sent LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers tumbling out of the NBA playoffs at the first hurdle, producing a clinical 103-96 win to complete a 4-1 series victory.
Minnesota’s French centre Rudy Gobert delivered a dominant display at both ends of the court on Wednesday, finishing with 27 points and 24 rebounds as the Lakers exited the postseason in the first round for the second straight year.
The Wolves advance to a Western Conference semifinal showdown against the winner of Golden State’s series against the Houston Rockets.
The Lakers, meanwhile, were left to reflect on another disappointingly short postseason campaign after a regular season that had built impressive momentum after the stunning trade for Luka Doncic in February.
The Lakers’ failure to acquire an authentic defensive big after Anthony Davis’s departure to Dallas came back to haunt them on Wednesday as Gobert dominated around the rim.
The Lakers – who had surged to third seed following Doncic’s arrival – were also found wanting offensively, with James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves making just five three-pointers between them.
“It feels great,” Gobert told TNT television 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. 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.”
Gobert’s contribution was backed by 23 points from Julius Randle while Anthony Edwards added 15 points with 11 rebounds and eight assists.
Doncic led the Lakers scoring with 28 points while Rui Hachimura chipped in with 23 points and James 22.
In Wednesday’s other playoff game, Houston kept their series against Golden State alive with a 131-116 thrashing of the Warriors, narrowing the gap in their Western Conference series 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, who led by as many as 31 points and were up by 29 when Warriors coach Steve Kerr waved the white flag, pulling Stephen Curry and the rest of his starters with 5:50 left in the third quarter.
With their season on the line after an agonising loss in a game-four thriller, the Rockets blasted out of the gate.
They connected on 64.7 percent of their shots in the first quarter on the way to a 40-24 lead.
VanVleet drilled three of Houston’s six first-quarter three-pointers and the Rockets made all 13 of their free throws in their opening period blitz.
The Warriors looked powerless to respond, with Curry and Jimmy Butler failing to score in the opening quarter, and the team turned the ball over five times.
Curry’s first basket was a three-pointer midway through the second quarter. But the Warriors could make few inroads in the face of Houston’s suffocating defence and the Rockets led 76-49 at halftime.
Kerr said he had no qualms about pulling his starters in a potential clinching game, a decision that gave some rest to 37-year-old Curry – playing through a thumb injury – Draymond Green and Butler, who missed game three with a pelvic injury.
They can still close out the series when they host game six 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.”
Curry finished with 13 points and Butler scored eight for the Warriors. Moses Moody scored 25 points and led the Warriors reserves in a late comeback bid that saw them pull within 13 points with five minutes left.
Then things got chippy again, with Warriors’ reserve Pat Spencer ejected for head-butting Houston centre Alperen Sengun – and the Rockets pulled away to close out the Game 5 win.
