The Los Angeles Lakers will do their best to avoid elimination, at least for another game on Wednesday when they host the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Lakers are on the ropes, and they’ll do their best to live for another game to keep their season alive. L.A. will have all of their key players on the court together, including their stretch forward, Maxi Kleber, who has yet to make his Lakers debut.
Kleber, who was upgraded from out to questionable on Tuesday, was once again upgraded from questionable to available ahead of Game 5. While he is available to play, it’s unclear how JJ Redick will use him, if at all.
Kleber has not played since Jan. 25 as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. He was included alongside Markieff Morris and superstar Luka Doncic in a blockbuster trade that sent them to the Lakers. In exchange, Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick headed to Dallas.
With their season on the line, the Lakers return to Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday to host the Timberwolves for a crucial Game 5. After dropping both games on the road, L.A. trails 3-1 in the series and faces a win-or-go-home scenario.
In Game 4, the Lakers struggled to contain Minnesota’s size and physicality, especially down the stretch. L.A. dropped Sunday’s Game 4 116-113 despite a 38-point effort from Doncic.
Anthony Edwards led the way for the Timberwolves with 43 points and was instrumental on both ends of the floor, setting the tone for a dominant fourth-quarter performance that pushed L.A. to the brink of elimination.
