The Minnesota Timberwolves ended the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2025 playoff run with a 103-96 victory in Game 5 on Wednesday, April 30, at Target Center, winning the first-round Western Conference series 4-1, per NBA.com. During the game, LeBron James suffered a significant injury, falling to the ground in pain after a collision with Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo in the fourth quarter. On Friday, May 2, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that James, 40, was diagnosed with a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee, with a recovery timeline of three to five weeks, meaning he could return to full health by mid-June, per McMenamin’s X post: “Story filed to ESPN.com: LeBron James suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee from his collision with Donte DiVincenzo in Wednesday’s Game 5, a league source told ESPN. The injury entails a 3-5 week recovery timeline.”
The incident occurred with 8:39 remaining in the game, when DiVincenzo was called for an offensive foul after setting a moving screen that collided with James’ knee while a pass was thrown to Julius Randle, per The Athletic’s Jovan Buha. James crumpled to the floor, clutching his leg, and briefly left the game to be evaluated by longtime Lakers trainer Mike Mancias, per ESPN’s broadcast footage. Despite the injury, James returned at the 7:23 mark and played the remainder of the game, logging 40 minutes and finishing with 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists on 9-for-19 shooting, per Basketball-Reference. His effort wasn’t enough to overcome Anthony Edwards, who led the Timberwolves with 43 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, per ESPN’s Jamal Collier.
James’ performance capped a stellar 2024-25 season, his 22nd in the NBA, where he averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game, shooting 51.3% from the field and 37.6% from three across 71 games, per NBA.com. The four-time MVP, who turned 40 in December 2024, remained a force, but the Lakers’ season ended earlier than hoped, marking their second straight year failing to advance past the first round, per Basketball-Reference. The team’s acquisition of Luka Doncic in a February 2025 trade with the Dallas Mavericks—sending Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura, and two first-round picks to Dallas, per Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus—gave them a long-term cornerstone. Doncic averaged 31.2 points and 8.9 assists post-trade, per StatMuse, but the Lakers struggled with frontcourt depth, a weakness exposed against Minnesota’s size, as they were outrebounded 47-34 in Game 5, per NBA.com.
The Lakers’ offseason focus will likely center on addressing their center position, a need that became glaring after trading Davis. A potential deal to acquire Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams in exchange for rookie Dalton Knecht fell through in March 2025, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Williams, who averaged 12.7 points and 9.7 rebounds in 2024, could have provided the rim protection and rebounding the Lakers lacked, per Basketball-Reference. Current options like Jaxson Hayes (7.2 points, 4.1 rebounds in 2024) and Maxi Kleber (4.4 points, 3.3 rebounds) struggled against Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert, who combined for 38 points and 25 rebounds in Game 5, per ESPN. Improving the frontcourt will be crucial if the Lakers aim to contend around James and Doncic in 2026, especially with James’ future uncertain—he’s under contract through 2026 with a player option for 2026-27, per Spotrac, but has hinted at retirement, per The Los Angeles Times’ Dan Woike.
The Lakers also face questions about head coach JJ Redick, whose job status has been scrutinized after the playoff loss, with analysts like Fox Sports 1’s Nick Wright pointing to his failures in clutch moments, per a May 2 report on FoxSports.com. James, meanwhile, has reportedly not committed to taking another pay cut to help the team build, having done so in 2023 to facilitate signings like Gabe Vincent, per HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto. With Doncic locked in through 2027, per Spotrac, the Lakers have a foundation to build on, but James’ injury and the team’s roster gaps highlight the challenges ahead as they aim to return to championship contention.
