Rudy Gobert's punch changed the course of the NBA

The Lakers won that game 108-102, but the shorthanded Timberwolves took LeBron James and company to overtime in Los Angeles. It's not hard to imagine Gobert being the difference - or defensive ace Jalen McDaniels, who also made an ill-advised punch in the final game. He broke his hand hitting the wall.

If that had been the result, both teams might have a very different outlook on the 2023-24 season. Minnesota, with two seven-footers in Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, would have faced the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in round one. With center Steven Adams and backup center Brandon Clarke both out with injuries, the banged-up Grizzlies would have struggled to match Minnesota's size.

Meanwhile, the Lakers would have drawn the eventual champion Denver Nuggets in the first round. Denver swept them in the conference finals, and it's hard to imagine the Lakers winning that first-round series.

Minnesota lost in five games to Denver in the first round, though the Nuggets' Bruce Brown said that despite Phoenix taking two games from the champs, he thought the Timberwolves series was the toughest.

Would the Lakers have still been willing to "keep this core together" after a first-round loss? It's much easier to imagine the Lakers making a push for Kyrie Irving if the team had ruined their late-season momentum with a play-in loss.

Similarly, the Timberwolves wouldn’t have had to endure weeks of trade rumors about Towns had they won a playoff series. Or even two - they went 2-2 against the Golden State Warriors last season.

The Lakers feel confident and the Timberwolves seem lost. But they may have been just one dumb punch away from their positions being reversed.