LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥 The Minnesota Timberwolves spent Game 5 in a dismal shooting funk, providing the Los Angeles Lakers with ample opportunity to stave off playoff elimination.
While his teammates struggled, Rudy Gobert stepped up against the small-ball Lakers 鈥 and on their big man’s shoulders, the Wolves are going all the way back to the second round.
Gobert had playoff career highs with 27 points and 24 rebounds, Julius Randle added 23 points and Minnesota advanced in the NBA playoffs with a clinching 103-96 victory in their first-round series Wednesday night.
Gobert stepped up when the Lakers deployed a centerless lineup, scoring more points than he managed in the series鈥 first four games combined. The Lakers also struggled defensively against Gobert, who dominated stretches on both ends.
鈥淔eels great, but not vindication,鈥 Gobert said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not about beating a specific person. It鈥檚 about a championship, and we鈥檝e got a little bit more work to do before that.鈥
With Gobert running amok in the paint, Minnesota won Game 5 despite going 7 for 47 on 3-point attempts, including 17 consecutive misses between the middle of the second quarter and Mike Conley鈥檚 dagger 3 with 1:22 to play.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 shoot the ball well, but I thought we were the tougher team mentally and physically,鈥 Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when it showed itself. We knew we鈥檇 been good in fourth quarters against this team all series. We just needed to see a couple of shots go down opportunistically. Guys did a great job surviving the emotions of the game, which was always going to be a tough game.鈥
Anthony Edwards had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the sixth-seeded Wolves, who won three straight games to eliminate LeBron James and Luka Doncic from their first postseason together.
After winning a playoff round in back-to-back seasons for the first time in franchise history, Minnesota next faces the winner of Houston鈥檚 series with Golden State. Wednesday, and Game 6 is Friday with the Warriors leading 3-2.
Doncic had 28 points and nine assists, while James added 22 points for the Lakers, who lost in the first round for the second straight postseason despite reconfiguring their roster at midseason with .
Rui Hachimura scored 23 points for the Lakers, who have advanced from the opening round just once in five seasons since their 2020 championship in the Florida bubble.
鈥淭here鈥檚 always a mix of disappointment and gratitude,鈥 Lakers coach JJ Redick said. 鈥淐ertainly disappointed (because this result is) not something that I ever envisioned with this team, having to go in and talk to them after losing in the first round, but give Minnesota a lot of credit. They鈥檙e a really good basketball team, and I think our guys played hard enough and did all the right things.
“We tried to make it work with what we had, and came up a little short.鈥
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