The shirt’s been inside LeBron James’ further locker for the reason that day he obtained it, a facsimile of the Lakers’ iconic golden jerseys with No. 77 on the entrance and “Doncic” on the again.
James wore a shirt precisely prefer it throughout pregame warmups on Feb. 10, a really public sign from somebody not often delicate that he was able to embrace the partnership placed on him when the Lakers made the midseason commerce that gave the crew two of the NBA’s greatest big-game gamers.
However within the Recreation 5 loss to Minnesota that ended their season Wednesday, Luka Doncic was grimacing after a foul jammed his decrease again within the first half. And James barely put weight on his left leg as he limped off the court docket within the fourth quarter.
Nonetheless, with just a little greater than seven minutes to go, the 2 have been on the court docket, the Lakers able to again up the broadly held perception that the nearer the sport, the higher off they’d be due to their leaders.
The scoreboard in Crypto.com Enviornment confirmed highlights of Doncic and James, their No. 77 and No. 23 uniforms including as much as 100, with simply three minutes to go and the Lakers down two.
However prefer it did late in fourth quarters all through this first-round playoff collection, the mathematics by no means added up.
Doncic, once more, missed a key layup. James, once more, couldn’t discover a rhythm within the fourth quarter.
And at the same time as that Doncic shirt hung contained in the Lakers’ locker room, the hope that had been constructed over the past two months completely evaporated because the Lakers once more did not win the most important moments, a 103-96 loss ending the primary chapter of this James-Doncic period.
It didn’t matter that Minnesota missed 40 three-point photographs, essentially the most by a crew in a postseason win. The Timberwolves appeared to seize each rebound and completed with a 54-37 benefit. It didn’t matter that Anthony Edwards was simply 5 for 19 from the sector — the Lakers couldn ‘t capitalize. And it didn’t matter that the Lakers have been on their dwelling court docket, Minnesota silencing the followers because the Timberwolves defensively dominated the fourth quarter for the fifth straight recreation.
Timberwolves heart Rudy Gobert shoots over LeBron James within the first quarter.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Occasions)
Lakers coach JJ Redick sacrificed measurement for quickness and spacing, benching heart Jaxson Hayes and beginning Dorian Finney-Smith like he did within the second half of Recreation 4. This time Timberwolves heart Rudy Gobert made the Lakers pay with playoff profession highs of 27 factors and 24 rebounds.
Doncic overcame a gradual begin to rating 28 on seven-for-18 taking pictures. James scored 22 on nine-for-21 taking pictures. Austin Reaves had solely 12 on five-for-14 taking pictures, lacking eight of 10 threes.
All collection issues by no means seemed straightforward for the Lakers.
The majority of that credit score ought to go to Minnesota, which not solely seemed just like the extra cohesive crew but additionally functioned as one designed virtually explicitly to focus on each one of many Lakers’ blemishes.
The Lakers, who gained video games by taking part in arduous, misplaced to a crew that at all times appeared to play tougher. The Lakers, who earned home-court benefit by being more durable, misplaced to a crew that was more durable. And the Lakers, who seemed like they may beat anybody within the common season, misplaced to a crew that they clearly couldn’t overcome in a collection.
Redick, who described the Lakers as “on edge” within the apply earlier than Recreation 5, angrily responded to a pregame query that implied he wanted to lean on his assistant coaches to higher deal with late-game substitutions.
His crew shortly fell behind. Minnesota’s Julius Randle, the primary piece of the Lakers’ post-Kobe Bryant plans, seemed just like the bulldozing tone-setter the crew as soon as envisioned when it took him within the first spherical in 2014.
Timberwolves ahead Julius Randle in first quarter.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Occasions)
James and Doncic, who owned the highest two scoring averages in elimination video games in NBA historical past, made simply one in all eight photographs within the first quarter. With every miss, the murmurs from the group grew longer, the followers mirroring the Lakers and their fading possibilities.
The crew pushed early within the second quarter as Randle and Jaden McDaniels, perhaps the collection most dear participant, sat with foul bother, permitting the Lakers to get inside a single possession on a number of events.
However within the moments when the Lakers and their stars wanted to capitalize, they seemed extra like separate entities than an unstoppable pressure. James tried to search out Doncic as he flared to the nook and threw a cross on to Edwards. Doncic couldn’t play on the defensive string the Lakers all wanted to be pulling on, Minnesota’s straightforward baskets resulting in James’ open frustration towards the Lakers’ bench.
However with their season on the road, the Lakers did one thing they’d not often accomplished all season: They dominated the third quarter. The Lakers fought again from 14 down to steer on a Dorian Finney-Smith three, buying and selling scores with the Timberwolves to path by only one heading to the fourth.
However the Lakers scored solely 16 factors within the fourth quarter, a feeble finish for an offense that might’ve been stronger.
It’s the primary time the Lakers ever misplaced a first-round collection as a No. 3 or increased seed. They fell to 2-12 of their final three playoff collection.
