The Los Angeles Lakers will try to keep their season alive on Wednesday night as they host the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena. Their only victory in this best-of-seven series came at home in Game 2.
Following that win, the Lakers dropped two straight games in Minneapolis and now trail the series 3–1.
Despite the current deficit, these teams were nearly even in the regular season. The Lakers finished 50–32, earning the third seed in the Western Conference, while Minnesota posted a 49–33 record and secured the sixth seed.
Ahead of Game 5, former Lakers star and current “Inside the NBA” analyst Shaquille O’Neal weighed in on the situation — and didn’t mince words.
“What matters is, if you don’t win this game tonight, it’s over,” O’Neal said. “That’s all that matters.”
Later, when asked how the Lakers could take Game 5, O’Neal emphasized team contributions beyond the stars.
“LeBron’s going to do what he does. Luka gonna do what he does. But I need something from Reaves. I need something from Hachimura. I need something from everybody.”
Austin Reaves, who has served as the Lakers’ third option for much of the season, has struggled during this series. He shot 5-of-13 in the Game 1 loss, and in the two road games in Minnesota, he combined to shoot 13-of-32 from the field.
Rui Hachimura is coming off his best performance of the series, scoring 23 points in Game 4. However, he has also been held to single digits twice. Hachimura averaged 13.1 points per game during the regular season.
Adding to the Lakers’ high-stakes situation is the blockbuster February trade that brought Luka Doncic to Los Angeles in exchange for Anthony Davis. Doncic scored 38 points in Game 4 and has topped 30 points in three of the four games in this series.
The breakout star of the series has been Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves. In Game 3, Edwards erupted for 43 points, the highest in the series so far. Through four games, he’s averaging 29.8 points per contest.
If the Lakers manage to win Game 5, the series will shift back to Minnesota for Game 6 on Friday. With their backs against the wall, the Lakers must rely on more than just LeBron and Luka if they hope to extend the series.
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