As soon as once more, pleasure grew to become embarrassment.

As soon as once more, a promise was damaged.

As soon as once more, the Lakers weren’t quick sufficient or expert sufficient or deep sufficient or robust sufficient.

As soon as once more, blowing up within the first spherical of the playoffs for the third time in 5 years, the Lakers simply weren’t adequate.

Lakers ahead LeBron James seems to be annoyed whereas watching Timberwolves heart Rudy Gobert dunk the ball throughout Recreation 5 of their NBA playoff sequence Wednesday at Crypto.com Area.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Occasions)

Nevertheless it’s hardly ever felt this unhealthy.

Not often has Crypto.com Area been as quiet whereas a playoff sport was being performed because it was Wednesday within the last minute of a 103-96 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

With 39 seconds left, followers silently crammed the aisles and actually turned their again on their beloved Lakers, who traditionally dropped this first-round sequence 4 video games to 1.

Traditionally, as a result of it was the primary time the Lakers have misplaced a first-round sequence as a three-seed or increased.

No, they’ve by no means folded this dramatically.

“Disappointment,” mentioned LeBron James. “Unfulfillment.”

He might say that once more. Disappointment in that that they had completed the season as among the finest groups within the league. Unfulfillment in that many thought they have been worthy of a march towards a championship.

They misplaced regardless that that they had thrilled their followers and frightened the league with their February addition of Luka Doncic.

They misplaced regardless that 40-year-old James was impressed by the addition of his son, Bronny, and had certainly one of his most full seasons ever.

They misplaced regardless that Austin Reaves had a breakout season as a scorer worthy of giving the Lakers a legit Huge Three.

They misplaced regardless that it was typically agreed that JJ Redick was having an excellent rookie season.

They misplaced as a result of Minnesota was every little thing they wished to be, however weren’t.

They misplaced as a result of Minnesota was harder within the clutch, out-scoring the Lakers by 42 factors within the sequence’ 5 fourth quarters.

Timberwolves ahead Julius Randle scores whereas placing his hand on the face of Lakers ahead Jarred Vanderbilt throughout Recreation 5 of their NBA playoff sequence Wednesday at Crypto.com Area.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Occasions)

They misplaced as a result of Minnesota wasn’t concerning the hype, the Timberwolves have been concerning the wrestle, the battle for every possession, doubling their second-chance factors on Wednesday, competing in every particular person battle as if it have been their final.

They misplaced as a result of Minnesota was stronger within the paint, dominating the Lakers so totally that Wednesday’s game-leading scorer was defensive specialist Rudy Gobert, who had 27 factors and 24 rebounds towards a defenseless Laker inside.

Minnesota was extra of a workforce, extra collaborative, extra collectively, extra dedicated.

“They were just the better team this series, to be honest,” mentioned Dorian Finney-Smith.

To be trustworthy, the sport was performed as if the Lakers have been already crushed, as if their pregame chant was a reprise of former guard Nick Van Exel’s notorious “1-2-3 Cancun!” chant in 1998 earlier than the Lakers have been swept by the Utah Jazz.

The Lakers have been on the point of elimination, but it was the Timberwolves who performed with desperation. The Lakers have been on the verge of ending their season on their house court docket, but it was the Timberwolves who performed with all the fervour.

The Timberwolves jumped to a 14-point lead within the first quarter and settled right into a 10-point lead at halftime with an excellent greater edge in physique language.

The Lakers got here again to briefly take the lead on the finish of the third quarter, and even led by a degree on a Doncic rainbow jumper with 6:29 remaining, however what ensued was typical of a workforce that had no thought how one can play with their backs towards the wall.

Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker drives previous Lakers ahead LeBron James and his teammates late in Recreation 5 of their first spherical NBA playoff sequence Wednesday at Crypto.com Area.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Occasions)

James airball. Gobert follow-up dunk. Maxi Kleber — what was he doing within the sport? — miss. James miss. Doncic miss. James miss. Kleber stepped on the baseline. And so forth.

The sport ended appropriately with Minnesota’s Naz Reid grabbing an offensive rebound off a Timberwolves missed free throw try and hugging the ball like Minnesota hugged this victory.

That fourth quarter confirmed a few of the Lakers vulnerability, beginning with James’ age. He clearly wore down, as he made simply two baskets within the final two fourth quarters.

Then there was Reaves, who had a typically awful sequence with 5 baskets within the 4 fourth quarters and eight of 10 missed pointers within the deciding sport.

“You can point the finger at me,” Reaves mentioned. “I didn’t play good enough for us to be successful.”

Reaves is correct. He was their greatest disappointment. However assist may very well be coming for all of them.

Whereas any first-round loss is a stain on the Lakers’ legacy, at the least this loss comes with hope.

Hope that this workforce shouldn’t be removed from being a championship workforce. Hope that this coach shouldn’t be removed from being an excellent coach. Hope that they’re nearer to greatness than this loss to the Timberwolves would point out.

Keep in mind, for all of their veteran savvy, this workforce continues to be a relative toddler, the 2 finest gamers having been collectively barely three months and their coach in his first 12 months.

“We just probably need a little more time together,” mentioned Finney-Smith.

James and Doncic will mesh higher subsequent season if each return, and each are anticipated to return.

James has all however confirmed that he needs to finish his profession as a Lakers, so he’s not anticipated to make use of his participant choice to flee, and he’s aged so extremely, even his greatest critics should admit that he ought to keep.

In recent times, this area has repeatedly referred to as for James to be traded, however no extra. This 12 months he proved that his leisure worth outweighs any burden his contract locations on the roster, and now that he has the thrilling Doncic as his working mate, his veteran management might truly result in another title within the possible two years earlier than he calls it quits.

“I don’t have an answer to that,” mentioned James late Wednesday when requested about retirement. “We’ll see.”

The Lakers bench watches the motion throughout the second quarter of the workforce’s Recreation 5 playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves Wednesday at Crypto.com Area.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Occasions)

He all the time says that. And he’s all the time returned.

Doncic might additionally depart by expressing such unhappiness that the Lakers can be pressured to commerce him earlier than his contract expires after subsequent season, however he appears to love it right here.

Doncic has continuously expressed nice respect for the franchise and its grandiose historical past, and this week he put his cash behind that respect by contributing $5,000 to the restoration of a graffiti-scarred Kobe Bryant mural. This, after he paid for parking for a lot of Laker followers on the night time of his Lakers debut.

Doncic is a top-five expertise, he’s enjoyable, he’s embraceable, he’s the right particular person to guide the Lakers into the following period.

If Doncic is definitely given a preseason to work with James and Reaves, who is aware of what they’ll accomplish?

“Anytime you make a big acquisition in the middle of the season it’s always going to be challenging,” mentioned James. “The whole dynamic changed. I still don’t think we had enough time to mesh.”

All they want is … you guessed it … a middle.

“No comment,” mentioned James. “My guy A.D. said what he needed and he was gone the following week.”

And thus Rob Pelinka, their newly minted president of basketball operations with a newly prolonged contract, has been giving his summer time marching orders.

Discover anyone who will make sure that Rudy Gobert doesn’t turn out to be Michael Jordan.

Discover the one huge factor that might additionally maximize Doncic’s expertise and take this workforce to the following degree.

Luka wants a lob companion. He wants a rim protector. He wants the kind of huge man that he had in Dallas when he led the Mavs to that unbelievable NBA Finals look.

Everybody thought the Lakers had this huge man this winter when Pelinka adopted Doncic’s beautiful acquisition with a commerce for Charlotte’s Mark Williams.

However then the Lakers bought chilly ft. They anxious that they overpaid for Williams, anxious that he was too immature for his or her sensible veteran system, and ultimately that fear turned a nasty bodily examination right into a deal killer.

They gave Williams again to Charlotte, and Jaxson Hayes was given the job, and by Wednesday night time he wasn’t even trusted to play a minute, and so now Pelinka is again to sq. one.

Discover a heart.

“We couldn’t get rebounds,” mentioned Rui Hachimura. “We need somebody to get rebounds.”

Timberwolves heart Rudy Gobert shoots in entrance of Lakers forwards LeBron James and Rui Hachimura Wednesday at Crypto.com Area.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Occasions)

The Lakers so clearly want that anyone, on Wednesday night time they have been even trolled by Williams himself on X.

Redick must also be higher subsequent season. He was surprisingly adept in his rookie 12 months as a head coach at any degree, however he scuffled within the postseason. He was publicly questioned by Magic Johnson after the Lakers Recreation 1 loss, after which he was questioned by the remainder of the basketball world after taking part in the identical 5 gamers the whole second half of the Recreation 4 loss.

Redick reacted to the newest criticism earlier than Wednesday night time’s sport by barking again at a media questioner who appeared to suggest that he wanted to rely extra on the knowledge of his veteran assistant coaches.

“Are you saying that I’m because I’m inexperienced and that was an ‘inexperienced’ decision that I made?” Redick requested. “You think I don’t talk to my assistants about rotations every single timeout?”

The questioner responded, “No, I just think a lot of coaches lean on their assistants in those situations.”

Redick fired again, saying, “As do I. Every single time. That’s a weird assumption.”

With that, Redick walked out of the press convention. That was in all probability going to be the final query anyway, however it was a nasty look that Redick left earlier than it formally ended.

“I can get a lot better,” Redick mentioned of his rookie 12 months.

His workforce thought he was simply tremendous.

“JJ will continue to grow,” mentioned James. “He had a helluva campaign for a rookie coach. I thought he handled it extremely well.”

These Lakers ought to proceed to develop. They’d higher. For all of their success, for all of their promise, the 2024-25 season can solely be summed up a technique.

They have been entertaining, they have been intriguing they usually have been a failure.