Timberwolves Eliminate Lakers in NBA Playoffs First Round

On May 1st, Beijing Time, the first - round games of the 2024 - 25 NBA Playoffs continued. The Los Angeles Lakers hosted the 5th game of the series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. After the full - court play, the Timberwolves defeated the Lakers 103 - 96 and eliminated the opponents with a 4 - 1 overall score.

Full - court statistics:

Specific scores: 31 - 22, 28 - 27, 22 - 31, 22 - 16 (Lakers' scores are in the second position).

For the Lakers, Luka Doncic had a futile 28 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists; Rui Hachimura scored 23 points and grabbed 4 rebounds; LeBron James had 22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals; Austin Reaves scored 12 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists; Finney - Smith had 7 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists; Vanderbilt had 2 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists; Kleber scored 2 points after his comeback.

For the Timberwolves, Rudy Gobert scored 27 points, grabbed 24 rebounds and had 2 blocks; Julius Randle scored 23 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists; Anthony Edwards had 15 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals; Walker had 10 points, 1 rebound and 3 assists; DiVincenzo had 9 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals; Conley had 8 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists; McDaniels had 8 points and 3 rebounds; Reed had 3 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists and 3 blocks.

Game review:

At the beginning of the first quarter, Randle's step - back jump shot was successful. Gobert got easy baskets by grabbing offensive rebounds and finishing lay - ups after receiving passes. The Timberwolves started with a 6 - 0 lead. For the Lakers, Doncic made 2 out of 2 free throws after drawing a foul. However, their small - ball lineup then encountered difficulties. Not only was their offense stagnant, but there were also frequent defensive loopholes. In the middle of this quarter, the Timberwolves shifted their offensive focus to the outside. Randle, DiVincenzo and Walker made three three - pointers in a row, and the away team led 21 - 9 at one point. In the latter part of this quarter, the Lakers replaced players with Vanderbilt and Kleber, and the rebounding improved. But it was still very difficult for James and Doncic to score. At the end of the first quarter, Doncic made 3 out of 3 free throws after drawing a foul from the outside. After the first quarter, the Lakers trailed 22 - 31 temporarily.

In the second quarter, James had a powerful fast - break dunk and a 2 1 after a strong drive to the basket. Reaves also showed his breakthrough skills and finished at the rim. In the middle of this quarter, Hachimura's open - court three - pointers started to go in, and the Lakers only trailed by 2 points at one point. However, Edwards attracted the defense and continuously found his open teammates. Conley, Walker and DiVincenzo made consecutive three - pointers, and the Timberwolves stabilized the situation. In the latter part of this quarter, Doncic's step - back jump shot was successful, and Edwards made 2 out of 2 free throws after drawing a foul. Both of them reached double - digit scores. Unfortunately, at the end of the quarter, Doncic was violently pulled by DiVincenzo when driving to the basket, and he hurt his waist and returned to the locker room for treatment. As Walker made a reverse lay - up, the Lakers trailed 49 - 59 at halftime.

After the intermission, James scored 4 consecutive points with drives and jump shots, sounding the horn for the Lakers' comeback. Then, Doncic made consecutive step - back three - pointers and jumpers. In the middle and latter part of the third quarter, Doncic made consecutive free throws after drawing fouls and also made another three - pointer from the outside, reaching 25 points. After attracting the defense, Doncic also assisted Finney - Smith to make a three - pointer. In the last minute of the third quarter, James made a free throw, and the Lakers took the lead for a moment. Gobert made a put - back shot using his height advantage. After the third quarter, the Timberwolves led 81 - 80, but the game was basically back to an even situation.

In the fourth quarter, the competition between the two sides reached a fever pitch, and it was quite difficult for both teams to score. For the Lakers, Reaves made a three - pointer. For the Timberwolves, Randle and Gobert made free throws in response. In the middle of this quarter, Gobert grabbed his 20th rebound, achieving a double - double of 20 points and 20 rebounds. Randle's strong drives to the basket were still effective, and the Timberwolves led by 5 points with 3 and a half minutes left in this quarter. In desperation, James made a three - pointer to keep the Lakers in the game. But Randle and Edwards made consecutive drives to the basket, and the away team led by 6 points. Hachimura also made a three - pointer, and the Lakers didn't give up. However, Conley's three - pointer basically ended the suspense of the game. Finally, after the full - court play, the Timberwolves defeated the Lakers 103 - 96 and eliminated the opponents with a 4 - 1 overall score.

Starting line - ups of both sides:

Timberwolves: Julius Randle, Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, Mike Conley

Lakers: LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Luka Doncic, Finney - Smith, Austin Reaves