The Los Angeles Lakers had an early exit from the playoffs. losing in five games in the first round to the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was good for the Lakers to reach the three-seed in the West after the shocking midseason trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks and Luka Doncic to LA.

The Lakers' lack of a true center was exploited throughout the series, particularly in Wednesday's matchup. Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, who had not scored more than six points or secured more than 10 rebounds prior to Game 5, dominated with 27 points and 24 boards to send Minnesota to the next round.

The Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs after the Minnesota Timberwolves exploited all of their biggest weaknesses.