LOS ANGELES – In a potential close-out game, maybe the blood is pumping, the adrenaline is coursing through a team’s body at a higher rate than it otherwise might. That could lead to altered focus and state of performance. Perhaps that’s one reason why the Wolves were so miserable from three-point range as a team Wednesday night in Game 5 of their series against the Lakers.
But on the broad shoulders and tall back of Rudy Gobert, the Wolves closed out the Lakers with an ugly but nonetheless satisfying 103-96 victory in Los Angeles.
The Wolves were an abysmal 7-for-47 from three-point range in the game. They hit just one in the second half, but Gobert bailed them out all night in what became the best game of his Wolves tenure. Gobert finished with 27 points and 24 rebounds. He had eight dunks, and he was responsible for a large chunk of the Wolves’ 20 second-chance points.
The Wolves overcame a bad shooting night from Anthony Edwards, who had 15 points on 5-for-19 shooting. Julius Randle had 23, including some timely buckets in the fourth quarter. Luka Doncic had 28 for the Lakers while LeBron James had 22.
With 8 minutes, 39 seconds to play and the Wolves up 84-82, Donte DiVincenzo fouled James, who was slow to get up. James exited the game momentarily but stayed near the bench area. James checked back in at the 7:23 mark. The game had been within one possession for much of the fourth. Dorian Finney-Smith fouled out with 6:07 to play, as the Wolves led 89-88. That was a concern for the Lakers given their lack of depth. The Wolves led by three when Gobert put back a missed three (a common theme of the night for the Wolves) for his eighth dunk of the night. Jaden McDaniels fouled out for the Wolves with 4:28 to play and finished with eight points.
The Wolves took a 93-88 lead on an off-kilter runner from Julius Randle on the third shot of a Wolves possession with 3:27 to play. But James answered with his first three of the night to bring the Lakers within two. The Wolves responded with four straight points for a 97-91 lead before a Rui Hachimura three cut it to three. Mike Conley buried the Wolves’ first three of the half for a 100-94 lead, and the Wolves were partying from there.
Wolves open strong
The Wolves led 31-22 after the first quarter with a stark difference in their shooting inside and outside the arc. They were 3-for-16 from three-point range, 9-for-19 from two-point range. They also had six turnovers. Gobert had his best offensive quarter of the series with nine points.
Lakers coach JJ Redick didn’t mess around with his starting lineup in Game 5, as he sat Jaxson Hayes for Finney-Smith in the opening minutes. He started the same five who played all 24 minutes of Game 4’s second half.
