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Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves knocked the star-studded Los Angeles Lakers out of the playoffs in the opening round, clinching a 103-96 win on Wednesday night to close out the series 4-1. With Rudy Gobert anchoring the paint and delivering a huge performance, and Minnesota hitting key shots down the stretch, the Timberwolves advanced to the second round, where they’ll face either the Warriors or Rockets.
The Lakers had no response for the Timberwolves' overwhelming size on Wednesday, as Rudy Gobert dominated with 27 points and 24 rebounds. Known more for his defense, Gobert feasted in the paint, crashing the offensive glass, slamming home put-backs, and capitalizing on mismatches against a smaller Lakers lineup.
Julius Randle added 23 points, while Anthony Edwards contributed 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. Despite shooting just 7-for-47 (14.9%) from beyond the arc—the worst three-point percentage in NBA playoff history for a team with at least 34 attempts—Minnesota still managed to win. The Wolves even missed 18 consecutive threes at one point, yet still outlasted the Lakers, doing what Houston couldn’t in its infamous 0-for-27 Game 7 collapse.
The Timberwolves continuing their mastery of the Lakers
For the Lakers, the loss signaled a disappointing end to a postseason that once held promise with LeBron James and Luka Doncic at the helm. JJ Redick’s team came out flat for long stretches of Wednesday’s elimination game and lacked a true interior anchor to slow down Gobert. James scored 22 points and Doncic added 28, helping the Lakers rally in the second half, but their efforts fell short as Minnesota’s size and depth proved too much to overcome in the final quarter.
For the first time in franchise history, the Los Angeles Lakers bowed out in the first round as a top-three seed. Though they entered the series as slight favorites, the Lakers struggled to handle the bruising frontcourt trio of the Timberwolves and the relentless shot-making of Anthony Edwards.
After acquiring Doncic on February 3, Los Angeles frequently relied on small-ball lineups to offset their lack of a true center—an adjustment that ultimately couldn’t stand up to Minnesota’s physicality and depth.
The Lakers now head into an intriguing offseason, with the possibility of the 40-year-old LeBron James retiring looming large and the front office facing the task of building a stronger roster around Luka Doncic. While Los Angeles had the star power to dream of a 2025 title push, the lack of depth was evident and ultimately held the team back from making a serious run.
As for the Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards continued his rise as a playoff performer, adding another big-name victim to his resume after last year’s sweep of Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns.
Although Minnesota fell short in the conference finals a season ago, there’s every reason to believe this squad is built for another deep run through the Western Conference. Wednesday’s series-clinching win highlighted the team’s depth, with Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle stepping up in a game where Edwards didn’t dominate.
