Everything that went wrong for LA Lakers in horrendous 2025 NBA playoffs first-round loss to Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves may have caused one of the biggest upsets in recent memory after outclassing the LA Lakers in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. The Lakers were heavy favorites to win this series and entered the matchup with home-court advantage, arguably the greatest player of all time in LeBron James, and arguably one of the top three active players in Luka Doncic.
However, Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert and the rest of the Timberwolves had different plans. The underdogs ran circles around a star-studded Lakers team, which had won 50 regular-season games for the first time in five years and seemed like one of the favorites to come out of the West despite their short turnaround after the blockbuster Luka Doncic trade.
It only took the Timberwolves five games to dump out the Lakers, securing a 103-96 win in Wednesday's Game 5.
2025 NBA playoffs: What went wrong for the LA Lakers in shocking loss to Minnesota Timberwolves
#1 Jaxson Hayes was a non-factor against Rudy Gobert
The Lakers only had one true big man on their roster, Jaxson Hayes. Alex Len, in his limited regular-season minutes, never made a lasting impact to earn playoff minutes. With averages of 1.8 points and 2.0 rebounds and a 37.5% field goal conversion rate, it didn't take long for Redick to limit Hayes' game time.
His lack of offense and rim protection made him a liability on both ends, forcing LA to play big wings at center. They were unable to cope with the size of Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid and Julius Randle, or the rim pressure from Anthony Edwards.
#2 Timberwolves' 3rd option outclasses Austin Reaves
One of the biggest factors in this series for the Lakers was Austin Reaves' offense. Most expected him to thrive after potentially being matched up against Mike Conley. However, Conley stood his ground. Reaves never exploited the matchup and was a liability on defense.
Reaves averaged 16.2 points and 3.6 assists but shot only 41.1%, including 31.9% from 3. He didn't have the thrust that the Timberwolves' third option, Jaden McDaniels, brought to the table.
McDaniels averaged 17.4 ppg while guarding LeBron, Doncic and Reaves, shooting 57.4%, including 37.5% from 3. He was arguably the best two-way player in this series.
#3 Luka Doncic's defense and Anthony Edwards' playmaking
The Lakers were hoping to bank on Anthony Edwards' not-so-well-known playmaking skills. They blitzed him and forced him into spots with their strong side zones, mainly because of Luka Doncic's defensive deficiencies.
But that backfired as Edwards turned out to be the best table-setter in a matchup against Doncic and LeBron James. Doncic never provided any resistance, compromising LA's help defense, which created a four vs. three advantage for the Wolves.
Edwards finished the series with 31 assists in five games. Barring a 0-assist outing in Game 2, he had at least six in every other game, including five in the final contest.
#4 Lack of depth
The Lakers never had the depth to match the Timberwolves' bench. At best, LA had six rotation players it could rely on. On the other hand, the Wolves had eight players to lean on. The Lakers' bench averaged 11.0 points on 32.2% shooting in 14.0 minutes.
On the other hand, Naz Reid alone outscored the Lakers' second unit, averaging 11.9 ppg, shooting 52.6%, including 50.0% from 3. The Wolves' bench in total averaged 26.8 ppg, playing 15.1 minutes.
#5 Rookie JJ Redick got outcoached
One of the primary reasons for the Lakers' offense never striking the right chords was their lack of playcalling. Rookie coach JJ Redick allowed his generationally talented offensive players to hunt mismatches and play freelance at will, which was easy to guard for an exceptional defensive team like the Timberwolves.
With nine players, including five defenders watching the ball, Doncic or James never threatened the team that could guard one through five (at least in this series).
#6 LeBron James and Luka Doncic's struggles in the clutch
LeBron James and Luka Doncic had forgettable fourth quarters. The duo never hit their ceiling in any of the games. James averaged 5.3 points in the fourth quarter but shot a measly 35.0%, while Doncic was worse with 5.0 points, shooting 29.4%. The Lakers scored 20 or fewer points in every fourth quarter of the series, averaging 17.0 ppg on 29.3% shooting. The Timberwolves, on the other hand, averaged 25.4 ppg on 44.0% shooting in the final 12 minutes.