It was win or go home time for the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series versus the Timberwolves on Wednesday. They had returned home after blowing the previous two games in crunch time on the road, and fans were hoping for an inspired performance that would extend the series.
The Lakers fell behind by double digits in the first quarter, and after coming to within three points midway through the second quarter, they gave up a 9-2 run and trailed 59-49 at halftime.
Los Angeles did fight hard and make a valiant effort afterward. The opportunity was right there for it to take this game, as Minnesota ended up shooting just 40.4% from the field and 14.9% from 3-point range, while Anthony Edwards shot 5-of-19 overall and missed all 11 of his 3-point attempts.
But after briefly taking a slim lead in the fourth quarter, L.A. had nothing left. The Timberwolves went on a 9-3 run after a LeBron James 3-pointer brought his team to within 93-91 with 3:08 remaining, and that was it, as L.A. fell by a final score of 103-96.
The Lakers’ usual internal enemies continued to keep them down on Wednesday. They were outrebounded 54-37, and they gave up 18 offensive rebounds, which led to 20 second-chance points for Minnesota. They were also outscored in the paint 56-40, and in particular, Rudy Gobert, who was ineffective offensively in the first four games of this series, got loose for 27 points on 12-of-15 shooting, and he was also a fire-breathing dragon on the boards with 24 rebounds.
This game was there for the taking. But even though the Timberwolves didn’t play well overall, especially on the offensive end, the Lakers couldn’t take advantage.
What looked to be a very promising season for the Purple and Gold once they landed Luka Doncic nearly three months ago has now ended with an unexpected and disappointing whimper.
Rui Hachimura: A-minus
Hachimura had another very productive game offensively, and he was the only member of the Lakers who was consistently making shots, especially from the outside. He scored 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting and knocked down five of his eight 3-point attempts, and he even had a poster dunk on Gobert during the first half.
But he could’ve done a little more on the boards. He had just four rebounds in 29 minutes.
Dorian Finney-Smith: B-minus
Finney-Smith moved into the starting lineup in place of center Jaxson Hayes, who didn’t play at all on Wednesday. He helped contain McDaniels, but Julius Randle was able to have his way to the tune of 23 points.
Offensively, he made three of his five shot attempts, and his lone 3-pointer of the night finally gave L.A. a 78-77 lead with 2:38 left in the third quarter. He also contributed four rebounds, two assists and one steal.
Unfortunately, Finney-Smith fouled out with 6:07 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Lakers up by one. Afterward, Minnesota went on a 10-3 run to essentially put the game out of reach.
Austin Reaves: D
This was a rough series for Reaves, who played very well during the regular season and took his game to new heights. On Wednesday, he shot a not-so-terrible 4-of-9 in the first half, but afterward, he was just 1-of-5. He had trouble hitting from the outside all night, and he ended up going just 2-of-10 from 3-point range, which limited him to 12 points.
He did not attempt a single free throw in Game 5, and he ended up with a total of seven free throw attempts in the series. He was simply unable to bait the Timberwolves into fouling him, which is something that has become a strength for him over the last couple of years.
Reaves also committed six of the Lakers’ 15 turnovers, and he had just two assists. While he is a better player than he was in this series, one also has to wonder if he may have gotten exposed just a bit.
Luka Doncic: B
Doncic picked up two early fouls in the first quarter, but he remained in the game. He went 0-of-4 in the first quarter, but he shot 7-of-14 the rest of the way, and he did an outstanding job of drawing fouls. He was 12-of-15 from the charity stripe, which allowed him to score 28 points on the night.
He also dished off nine assists and grabbed seven rebounds. He mustered just two assists in Game 4 and only one dime in Game 1.
However, Doncic didn’t get things done defensively. No matter who he was trying to guard, whether it was Randle or Edwards, he couldn’t stay in front of his man. That is something he needs to work on to get to the next level as a transcendent player.
LeBron James: B-minus
James was energetic in this game, and it seemed to translate over to the defensive end. However, this wasn’t the most efficient of games for him. He shot 9-of-21 overall, 1-of-5 from 3-point range and 3-of-6 from the foul line.
Once again, he didn’t play well in the fourth quarter. During that time, he missed five of his seven shot attempts, and overall, the Lakers shot 30% in that period, which continued a pattern of fourth-quarter ineptitude that lasted throughout the series.
James finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals. After the game, he was noncommittal about his future with the Lakers.
Jarred Vanderbilt: B-plus
Vanderbilt made a nice impact on this game in the first half. When he entered with 4:52 left in the first quarter, the Lakers were down 21-9, but when he left with 8:44 to go in the second quarter, they had pulled to within four points. He came back for two more stints in the second half and prevented the Lakers from losing any ground during that time.
He hustled for seven rebounds, and he even did a bit of work off the dribble and contributed three assists in 19 minutes. While he will almost certainly have his name come up in some trade rumors over the next few months, he is still a valuable bench piece and energy player, and the Lakers shouldn’t trade him just for the sake of trading him.
Gabe Vincent: C
Vincent played 26 minutes, and he chipped in three rebounds and two assists. However, he missed both of his shot attempts and went scoreless.
Maxi Kleber: Incomplete
Kleber got his first minutes with the Lakers after he was included in the Doncic trade following a foot injury he suffered in late January. He played five minutes consisting of two very short stints in each half, and he scored two points on free throws while missing his only shot attempt.
He is someone to keep an eye on moving forward. At 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds, he has long been considered a passable defender and 3-point shooter. Next season will be the final one of his contract, and he will make $11 million.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers player grades: L.A.’s season comes to an abrupt end in Game 5
