Rudy Gobert had most profession within the playoffs with 27 factors and 24 rebounds, Julius Randle added 23 factors and the Minnesota Timberwolves superior within the NBA playoffs with a 103-96 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in sport 5 of their sequence of the primary spherical of Wednesday night.
Anthony Edwards scored 15 factors and 11 rebounds for the wolves of the sixth seed, who received three consecutive video games to remove Lebron James and Luka Doncic from their first post-installation collectively.
After successful a playoff spherical within the consecutive seasons for the primary time within the historical past of franchise, Minnesota will face the winner of the Houston sequence with Golden State. The Rockets prevented the elimination Wednesday and Game 6 is Friday with the Warriors on the top 3-2.
Doncic had 28 factors and 9 assists, whereas James added 22 factors for the Lakers, who misplaced within the first spherical for the second publish -consecutive set up regardless of reconfiguring their checklist in the midst of the season with their seismic commerce for Doncic.
Rui Hachimura scored 23 factors for the Lakers, who went from the opening spherical solely as soon as in 5 seasons from their 2020 championship within the Florida bubble.
With Gobert ran within the paint whereas the Lakers intentionally performed with out middle, Minnesota received the sport 5 regardless of having performed 7 by 47 for the makes an attempt of three factors, together with 17 missed missed between the center of the second quarter and the Mike Conley dagger 3 with 1:22 to play.
After dividing the primary two video games in Los Angeles, the Lupi seized the management of the sequence in victories in the home restricted back-to-back with a late sport execution.
Gobert due to this fact intensified when the Lakers deployed a ball formation for Game 5, with the French middle that marked extra factors than he succeeded within the first 4 video games of the mixed sequence.
Minnesota breastfeed a slender lead alongside the stretch and the Lakers misplaced 5 consecutive photographs whereas they went to three 1/2 minutes between the factors.
After taking part in the whole second half of Game 4 with 5 gamers, the Lakers modified their beginning formation for Game 5, protecting the tenacious Wing Dorian Finney-Smith as an alternative of the Jaxson Hayes middle.
The Lakers coach JJ Redick defended his resolution to keep away from replacements this week, even reacting testically when a journalist requested him for his resolution -making course of earlier than the sport 5.
The minnesota jumped forward of 14 factors within the first quarter, however the Lakers gathered earlier than Doncic went to the locker room a minute earlier than the interval after touchdown awkwardly on his knees as a result of a powerful foul by Donte Finenzo. Doncic returned to court docket just a few moments earlier than the start of the third quarter, sporting an ideal guardian to the decrease again he discarded to proceed taking part in.
The horrible shot of the Lupi saved him shut and the Lakers took their first benefit when Doncic performed a late occasion within the third.
James limp on the Lakers bench throughout the fourth quarter after going arduous on his sizzling ankle, however some possessions returned later.
Reporting by the Associated Press.
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