The Minnesota Timberwolves have officially punched their ticket to the second round of the NBA playoffs, stunning the Los Angeles Lakers with a 103-96 victory in Game 5 at Crypto.com Arena. The win secured a 4-1 series triumph, proving doubters wrong and sending LeBron James and Luka Dončić home earlier than expected.
After the game, Anthony Edwards didn’t hold back in expressing what the victory meant to him and his team. In his postgame press conference, Edwards delivered a statement that will undoubtedly be remembered:
“We beat the best player in the world, the best player ever. This makes it even better that it was the ‘Wolves in 5’ when they said ‘the Lakers in 5.’”
“We beat the best player in the world, the best player ever”
– Anthony Edwards
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24 )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 1, 2025
His words reflected both his admiration for James and his satisfaction in proving critics wrong. Many fans and analysts had predicted the Lakers would take the series, but Edwards and the Timberwolves flipped the script.
The Timberwolves dominated the boards and controlled the pace of the game, led by Rudy Gobert, who posted a monstrous 27 points and 24 rebounds—his best playoff performance to date. Julius Randle added 23 points, while Edwards contributed 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists, despite struggling with his shot.
The Lakers, meanwhile, couldn’t find their rhythm in the fourth quarter. LeBron James finished with 22 points, while Luka Dončić had 28 points and 9 assists, but their efforts weren’t enough to overcome Minnesota’s defensive intensity.
With the Lakers eliminated, the Timberwolves now await their second-round opponent. They will face the winner of the Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors series, which is still ongoing.
For Edwards and the Timberwolves, this victory is more than just advancing—it’s a statement. They’ve silenced doubters, taken down a team led by one of the greatest players in NBA history, and proved they belong among the league’s elite.
