Minnesota Timberwolves Advance Behind Rudy Gobert’s Masterpiece

The stars were out in Los Angeles for a pivotal Game 5, but no star shone as bright as Rudy Gobert. Minnesota Timberwolves Center Rudy Gobert finished with career playoff highs in both points and rebounds, with 27 points and 24 rebounds. 

The four-time Defensive Player of the Year also made his presence felt on the defensive end, finishing with 2 blocks and altering multiple shots at the rim. During his post-game press conference, superstar Anthony Edwards aptly described how great Gobert’s game was, calling Gobert a “dragon from Game of Thrones.”  While Gobert was the man for the Timberwolves, he had some assistance along the way.

Randle and Conley Give Timberwolves Wolves Boost

When the Timberwolves traded away franchise cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks for former All-Star Julius Randle, many Timberwolves fans were left scratching their heads. The play of Randle in Game 5 silenced any doubts those fans may have had. The Wolves big man dropped 23 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter to help seal the series. Minnesota Point Guard Mike Conley also made clutch plays on both ends of the floor for Minnesota. The 37-year-old hit a corner three-pointer with 1:22 left in the 4th period to extend the Wolves lead by 6, and hounded Lakers star Guard Austin Reaves on defense throughout the game.

Wolves Dominate the Boards

Before the start of Game 5, it was announced the Lakers would be going small by placing Center Jaxson Hayes on the bench. The Wolves took full advantage of the size discrepancy. Minnesota outrebounded the Lakers 54-37, while also nabbing 18 offensive boards. The Wolves made their presence felt early in the first quarter by grabbing several offensive rebounds in a row and getting into the paint relentlessly. Despite having a quiet night on the offensive end, Edwards joined the rebounding party by grabbing 11 boards.

How Far Can the Timberwolves Go?

With the win, the Timberwolves have advanced to the second round of the playoffs for only the fourth time in franchise history, and the second year in a row. The question now stands. How far can this Minnesota squad go? While the Wolves will have to wait for the Rockets-Warriors series to wrap up, it’s hard to imagine they won’t be favored against either team.

The Wolves ranked in the top 10 in both defense and three-point shooting during the regular season and flexed those rankings in spades against the Lakers. That underdog mentality has been on full display by this scrappy Wolves squad and could be the edge that pushes them to the finals.

Lakers Season Ends in Disappointment

Well for every winner there has to be a loser, and unfortunately for the Lakers, this series will sting for quite some time. The purple and gold entered the playoffs with the third-best odds to win the title, which is no surprise when you have players like Luka Doncic and LeBron James on your roster.

However, the Lakers lack of depth in the frontcourt and inconsistent play from its two superstars was too much to overcome. There will be many questions that the Lakers will have to answer heading into the offseason, but the Lakers future as a whole is still fairly bright with a prime Doncic now in town for the future.