The Lakers Dynasty collapses at night! Gobert 27+24 tear apart five small lineups

On May 1, the Staples Center witnessed a dramatic farewell battle. The Lakers lost to the Timberwolves 96-103 at home, and the series score was frozen 1-4, becoming the first top four team in the Western Conference this season to be defeated by the bottom. This defeat not only ended the Lakers' hopes for the championship, but also exposed the team's deep crisis in lineup construction and tactical decision-making. The start of the game sets the tone for the whole game. Head coach Redick uses five small teams from Doncic, James, Hachimura, Reeves and Finney-Smith to try to suppress his opponents with mobility. However, this gambling style change backfired - Gobert took the inside in the first quarter, scoring 10 points and 6 rebounds on 5 of 6 shots in a single quarter, and the Timberwolves scored a perfect start of 31-22. When the 2-16-meter-high French center was in the Lakers' penalty area, the live commentator exclaimed: "This is simply O'Neal playing in the amateur league!\"

Although the Lakers rely on James' continuous breakthroughs in the second quarter to narrow the score difference, the score of 49-59 at halftime has shown a crisis. The turning point occurred in the third quarter, and Doncic suddenly broke out and scored 14 points in a single quarter, leading the team to a 31-22 offensive to complete the overtake. But the physical crisis has become a fatal hidden danger. When 38-year-old James played the second half, the Timberwolves seized the opportunity of loosening their opponent's defense line. Conley and Randle hit key balls in the final quarter, locking the victory with a 14-6 decisive offensive.

Gobert's horror statistics with 27 points and 24 rebounds set a new personal playoff career high. The questioned center in the regular season, the billion yuan center averaged 22.4 points and 17.2 rebounds in the series, completely dominating the penalty area. In sharp contrast, the Lakers' inside group - Hayes' total rebounds (23) in the series are not as good as Gobert's single game data (24). Such a huge gap in the penalty area directly leads to an elimination.

The Lakers' tactical dilemma reached their peak in G5: five small-squad lost 18 rebounds and fell behind in the penalty area 32-56. Redick's guiding ideology of "for space to defend" was hit by reality - when the opponent has a historically-level frame guard, the lack of a real center lineup is like breaking the meridians. Senior football commentator Mark Jackson pointed out: "This is not a tactical game, but a complete defeat at the strategic level. You can avoid using traditional centers, but you cannot fail to deal with the registration of Giants centers.\"

The struggles of core players are also worth pondering. Although Doncic handed over a quasi-triple double-digit data of 28+7+9, his efficiency in 7 of 18 shots is hard to be ideal. The series' 35.2% hit rate exposed the stability of the Slovenian genius under high pressure defense. When asked about the contract renewal, the 25-year-old supernova admitted: "Now is not the time to consider these." This statement casts a shadow on the Lakers' offseason operation.

38-year-old James fell into the "all-out James" curse, and averaged 40.2 minutes per game in the series to hit a record high in the past five years. The two fatal mistakes at the critical moment of the final quarter of G5 reflect the cruel reality that time is unforgiving. In the locker room, Lao Zhan’s joke \"AD was traded after he asked for a request\" It seems relaxed, but in fact it hides a subtle attitude towards management operations.

This loss pushes the Lakers to a crossroads: Should we completely rebuild around Doncic, or will we seize James' final peak and bet again? Salary expert Bobby Max estimates that the team's guarantee contract will reach 168 million next season, with extremely limited operating space. The Timberwolves' rise trajectory may provide inspiration - the young core framework of Edwards + Gobert + Randle, supplemented by veterans such as Conley, is building a championship lineup that balances offense and defense.

When the lights in the center of Staples gradually fade, the Lakers need to face the cruel reality: the center paradox in the small ball era still exists, and lineup defects may ruin any genius idea. How to find a balance between the thickness of the inside and the firepower of the outside will become the biggest topic in the offseason of the uniform group. For the giants who are determined to win the championship, this regrettable finale of the season may be the necessary overture of the new legend.