Lakers head coach JJ Redick bumped Jaxson Hayes from the starting unit and out of the rotation, which allowed Gobert to control the paint in this game from start to finish. He set new playoff career-highs for both points and rebounds to help Minnesota advance to the next round. Entering this game, Gobert had a total of 14 points and 25 rebounds during this series. Clearly, Game 5 was a huge step in the right direction for him, and he will look to carry this into the conference semifinals, where they will await the winner of the Rockets-Warriors series.

It was a rough shooting performance for Edwards, but he found other ways to impact this game. After scoring 43 points during Sunday’s win, Edwards nearly recorded a triple-double and added some steals to help Minnesota advance to the next round. He missed all 11 of his attempts from beyond the arc, and the team shot just 7-of-47 on three-pointers. Still, it was enough to end this series in just five games. They’ll play either the Rockets or Warriors in the second round.

After dealing with foul trouble in the first half, Randle came up big after the break to send the Timberwolves to the second round of the playoffs. He had an excellent series, averaging 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.2 triples to help guide Minnesota to a gentlemen’s sweep. If Randle continues to produce at this level, the Timberwolves will be difficult to beat. They’ll await the winner of the Rockets-Warriors series in round two.

Just before halftime, Doncic exited with a back injury following a hard foul. He was able to return for the second half, though he was clearly moving gingerly at times. However, back pain wasn’t going to slow down Luka. He led both teams in scoring, with almost half of his points coming at the free throw line. That wasn’t enough to win, which brings his first season with the Lakers to a close. With a full offseason to get used to his new team, and roster moves to build this team around him, expect Doncic to be back to his typical dominant self next season.

James was awesome in Games 3 and 4, though Los Angeles wasn’t able to get a win in Minnesota. With their backs against the wall in Game 5, LeBron wasn’t able to replicate his two previous performances, and the Lakers’ season ended in the first round for a second straight season. Though there is no indication that James will retire as of now, he’ll be 41 for next season’s playoffs. He should be in for another strong year when he’s on the floor, but if the Lakers want to win a championship next season, they may prioritize rest for James more than ever during the 2025-26 season.

This was the second straight game that Hachimura finished with exactly 23 points and five triples. Unfortunately, it was also a second straight single-digit loss for the Lakers, which will bring their season to an end. Hachimura improved his numbers and took on a larger role this season with JJ Redick taking over as the team’s head coach. There will certainly be roster changes for Los Angeles this summer, but if Hachimura is kept around, he’ll be a decent, low-upside option in fantasy next season.