Magic Johnson Assigns Blame for Lakers' Elimination

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated May 1, 2025 2:23 AM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers needed to win Game 5 to extend their NBA playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves; unfortunately, they were simply outclassed by their rivals.

Minnesota's big men had a field day against L.A., with Rudy Gobert finishing with 27 points and 24 rebounds to lead the team to a 103-96 victory. The French big man also shot 12-of-15 from the field, further highlighting the Lakers' inability to stop him.

Julius Randle, meanwhile, tallied 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting, along with five rebounds and four assists.

The Lakers, for their part, struggled on both sides of the court. Not only were they unable to stop the Timberwolves, but they also couldn't get their offense going.

Luka Doncic had 28 points, but he shot a brutal 7-of-18 from the field. Austin Reaves only made 12 points himself on a 5-of-14 shooting clip.

Following the loss, which capped off the series at 4-1 and eliminated the LeBron James and company, NBA legend Magic Johnson didn't hold back when pointing out the various reasons the Lakers lost.

According to the L.A. icon, poor defense, their small lineup and allowing the Timberwolves to dominate in the paint were to blame for the painful outcome.

"The reason the Lakers lost was because they played awful on defense, they were too small, and the Timberwolves dominated them in the paint," Johnson shared, while congratulating the Timberwolves for their win.

Congratulations to my good friend Minnesota Timberwolves owner Alex Rodriguez, superstar Anthony Edwards and the entire Minnesota Timberwolves team for beating my Lakers and advancing to the next round. The reason the Lakers lost was because they played awful on defense, they…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 1, 2025

Ever since the Lakers traded Anthony Davis (and more) for Doncic, their lack of frontcourt presence has been a major talking point.

While they were able to show during the regular season that they could win without a Davis-like presence in the middle, it certainly wasn't the case in the playoffs, with the Timberwolves taking advantage of that weakness.

Sure enough, a defensive anchor who can protect the paint would have solved the issues that Johnson pointed out.

It remains to be seen if the Lakers can address their biggest needs in the offseason, but plenty of eyes will definitely be on them after their latest failure. With a roster that features Doncic and James, expectations remain high that they will be able to field a contender next campaign.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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