Again, excitement has become embarrassing.
Again, a promise was broken.
Again, the Lakers were not fast enough or quite qualified or deep enough or strong enough.
Again, exploding in the first round of the playoffs for the third time in five years, the Lakers were simply not good enough.
The Lakers striker, LeBron James, looks frustrated while watching the center of Timberwolves Rudy Gobert Dunk Le Ballon in match 5 of their NBA eliminatory series on Wednesday in Crypto.com Arena.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
But it rarely felt so bad.
Rarely, Crypto.com Arena was as calm in an eliminatory match as Wednesday in the last minute of a defeat of 103-96 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
With 39 seconds to play, the fans filled the aisles silently and literally turned their backs on their beloved Lakers, who historically dropped this four games to one.
Historically, because it was the first time that the Lakers lost a first round series as a seeded n ° 3 or more.
No, they never folded this dramatically.
“Disappointment,” said LeBron James. “Dissatisfied.”
He could repeat this. The disappointment in what they finished the regular season as one of the best teams in the League. He is dissatisfied in that many thought they were worthy of a walk to a championship.
They even lost if they delighted their fans and frightened the league with their addition of February by Luka Doncic.
They lost even if James, 40, was inspired by the addition of his son, Bonny, and had one of his most complete seasons.
They lost even if Austin Reaves had a season in small groups as a marker worthy of giving the Lakers a legitimate big three.
They lost even if it was generally agreed that coach JJ Redick had an exceptional recruit season.
They lost because Minnesota was all they wanted to be but no.
They lost because Minnesota was harder in the clutch, outclassing the 42 -point Lakers in the five fourth quarters of the series.
Timberwolves striker Julius Randle scores while putting his hand on the face of the Lakers striker Jarred Vanderbilt in match 5 of his NBA eliminatory series on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
They lost because Minnesota was not part of the media threw, the Timberwolves concerned the fight, the battle for each possession, doubling the second chance points of the Lakers on Wednesday, in competition in each individual battle as if it was their last.
They lost because Minnesota was stronger in painting, dominating so completely the Lakers that the top scorer on Wednesday was the defensive specialist Rudy Gobert, who had 27 points and 24 rebounds against a defenseless interior.
Minnesota was more a team, more collaborative, more together, more committed.
“They were just the best team in this series, to be honest,” said Dorian Finney-Smith.
The game was played as if the Lakers had already been beaten, as if their pre-match song was a cover of the infamous “1-2-3 Cancun of former goalkeeper Nick Van Exel!” Song in 1998 before the Lakers were swept by Utah Jazz.
The Lakers were on the verge of elimination, but it was the Timberwolves who played with despair. The Lakers were about to put an end to their season on their field, but it was the Timberwolves who played with all the passion.
The Timberwolves took a 14-point lead at the first quarter and settled in a 10-point lead at halftime with an even greater advantage in body language.
The Lakers returned to briefly take the lead at the end of the third quarter, and even led by a point on a Arc-en-Ciel rider with 6:29 to play in the fourth, but what followed was typical of a team that did not know how to play with its back against the wall.
Timberwolves goalkeeper Nickeil Alexander-Walker exceeds Lakers striker Lebron James and his teammates at the end of match 5 of their NBA eliminatory series in the first round Wednesday in Crypto.com Arena.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
James Airball. Gobert follow -up dunk. Maxi Kleber – What was he doing in the game? – miss. James Miss. Dononic Miss. James Miss. Kleber walked on the basic line. And so on.
The match ended appropriately with Naz Reid from Minnesota by entering an offensive rebound from a failed franc launch and tightening the ball like the Minnesota in his arms.
This fourth quarter showed part of the vulnerability of the Lakers, starting with the age of James. He clearly opposed when he was only two baskets combined during the last two fourth quarters.
Then there was Reaves, which had a generally ugly series with five baskets in the four fourth quarters and missed eight of the 10 three points in the decisive match.
“You can point my finger,” said Reaves. “I haven’t played well enough for us to succeed.”
Reaves is right. He was their greatest disappointment. But the aid could come for everyone.
Although any loss of first round is a stain on the heritage of the Lakers, at least this loss is accompanied by hope.
I hope this team is not far from being a championship team. I hope this coach is not far from being an exceptional coach. I hope they are closer to the greatness than this loss indicates it.
Remember that for all their experienced veterans, this team is always a relative toddler, the two best players having been barely three months together and their coach during their first year.
“We probably need a little more time together,” said Finney-Smith.
James and Douteic will join better next season if the two come back, and the two should come back.
James almost confirmed that he wanted to put an end to his career as a laker, so he should not use his player option to flee, and he has aged so incredibly, even his greatest criticisms must recognize that he should stay.
In recent years, this space has repeatedly asked that James be exchanged, but no more. This year, he proved that his entertainment value prevails over any burden that his contract imposes on the list, and now that he has the fascinating Donic as a running mate, his veteran management could actually lead to one more title in the probable two years before he calls him.
“I have no response to this,” said James late Wednesday when he was asked about retirement. “We will see.”
The Lakers bench looks at the action during the second quarter of the game’s qualifiers for the team 5 of the team against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
He always says that. And he has always returned.
Doncic could also leave by expressing such a misfortune that the Lakers would be forced to exchange it before the expiration of his contract after next season, but he seems to love him here.
Dononic has constantly expressed great respect for the franchise and its grandiose history, and this week, he put his money behind this respect by contributing $ 5,000 to the restoration of a Kobe Bryant wall marked in graffiti. This, after paying parking for many fans of Lakers in the night of its beginnings.
Dononic is a top-five talent, it is fun, it is embrailed, it is the perfect person to drive the Lakers in the next era.
If Dononic actually receives a pre-season to work with James and Reaves, who knows what they can accomplish?
“Whenever you make a big acquisition in the middle of the season, it will always be difficult,” said James. “All the dynamics have changed. I still don’t think we have had enough time to be stitching.”
All they need is … you guessed it … a center.
“No comments,” said James. “My guy (Anthony Davis) said what he needed and he had left the following week.”
And thus Rob Pelinka, their new president of basketball operations with a newly extended contract, gave his summer walking orders.
Find someone who will make sure that Gobert does not become Michael Jordan.
Find the only great thing that would also maximize the talent of Doncic and bring this team to the next level.
Luka needs a LOB partner. He needs a rim protector. He needs the kind of great man he had in Dallas when he led the Mavericks to this improbable appearance in the NBA final.
Everyone thought that the Lakers had this great man this winter when Pelinka followed the astonishing acquisition of Doncic with an exchange for Mark Williams of Charlotte.
But then the Lakers had cold feet. They feared that they were too paid for Williams, feared that it was too immature for their intelligent veteran system, and ultimately this concern transformed a bad physical exam into a transactions killer.
They returned Williams to Charlotte, and Jaxson Hayes received the post, and Wednesday evening, he did not even have confidence to play a minute, and then now Pelinka is back at square one.
Find a center.
“We were unable to get rebounds,” said Rui Hachimura. “We need someone to get rebounds.”
The Timberwolves Rudy Gobert center shoots in front of the attacker Lakers Lebron James and Rui Hachimura on Wednesday in Crypto.com Arena.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers therefore obviously need someone on Wednesday evening they were even dragged by Williams on X.
Redick should also be better next season. He was surprisingly followed in his year recruited as a coach at any level but escaped in the playoffs. He was publicly questioned by Magic Johnson after the loss of match 1 of the Lakers, then questioned by the rest of the basketball world after playing the same five players the second half of the defeat of match 4.
“I can get much better,” said Redick.
His team thought he was fine.
“JJ will continue to grow,” said James. “He had a Helluva campaign for a recruited coach. I thought he had managed it very well.”
These Lakers should continue to grow. They would be better. For all their success, for all their promise, the 2024-25 season can summarize only one way.
They were entertaining, they were intriguing and they were a failure.
