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.

Mark Williams went through a whirlwind of emotions back in February when he was sent to the Los Angeles Lakers in a deal that sent Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a

LOS ANGELES — Rudy Gobert had playoff career highs with 27 points and 24 rebounds, Julius Randle added 23 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves advanced in the NBA playoffs with a 103-96 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of their first-round series Wednesday night.

The Lakers acquired Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in hopes of giving James a better chance to earn a fifth career NBA championship. Despite achieving the No. 3 seed in the West