1 day Ago By Athlon Sports
The Los Angeles Lakers showed plenty of fight down the stretch of the 2024-2025 in their effort to become a Western Conference Championship and NBA Championship contender. New head coach JJ Redick's smart game planning and the addition of Mavericks superstar guard/forward Luka Doncic gave fans hope of another NBA Finals run in Tinseltown. As the final minute ticked down of the first half of Game 5 in Los Angeles, fans held their collective breath as Doncic exited the court with an injury.
Donte DiVincenzo's ninth point of the game just before halftime exposed a weakness that Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert picked at during almost the entire first half — the lack of a proven, frontline big man to help out Doncic and LeBron James. "Look how quiet it is in this building," NBA on TNT announcer Reggie Miller stated as the T'Wolves seized a 59-49 halftime lead. Rudy Gobert shields the ball from Luka Doncic's steal attempt on April 30, 2025.
© Gary A Vasquez-Imagn Images The Lakers started Dorian Finney-Smith at center in a battle versus Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert that quickly went against the Lakers.Finney-Smith failed to record a single rebound in 17 minutes of action, scoring four points while he and his frontcourt mates ceded 15 points and eight rebounds the T'Wolves' star center in 20 minutes of play. The Lakers' attempts to play small ball did little to stop the bleeding as Gobert and the Wolves feasted at the Crypto.
com Arena. "The building is dead..
.There's no energy..
.The Lakers are going to lose this game, I really believe," NBA on TNT studio host Charles Barkley said at halftime as Redick and his coaching staff attempted to come up with a way to stop the powerful French American center. "I never thought I'd hear these words come out of my mouth.
..But Rudy Gobert is dominating.
Rudy Gobert is dominating and I'm happy for him." Related: Charles Barkley Reveals Nine-Word Phrase That Caused Julius Erving to Fight Larry Bird.
