Hall of Famer Magic Johnson publicly criticized the Los Angeles Lakers’ defensive performance following their Game 5 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.
In a post on X, Johnson congratulated Timberwolves owner Alex Rodriguez and star guard Anthony Edwards, then pointed directly to the Lakers’ defense as the reason for the defeat.
“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 wrote.
Minnesota eliminated Los Angeles 103-96 at Crypto.com Arena, winning the series 4-2 and advancing to the Western Conference semifinals for the second straight year.
Rudy Gobert powered the Timberwolves with playoff career highs of 27 points and 24 rebounds, dominating a Lakers team that opted for a small-ball lineup without a traditional center.
The four-time Defensive Player of the Year finished 12-of-15 from the field and helped Minnesota outscore L.A. 54-36 in the paint.
Despite missing 40 of their 47 three-point attempts, the Timberwolves used their size advantage to secure 18 offensive rebounds and outrebound the Lakers overall 54-37.
LeBron James scored 22 points and Luka Doncic had 28 with nine assists, but Los Angeles was held to 42.3 percent shooting and committed 15 turnovers.
Austin Reaves had six giveaways and shot 5-of-14, while Minnesota outscored the Lakers 22-16 in the fourth quarter to close the game.
Mike Conley hit a critical three-pointer with 1:22 left to stop a 17-miss streak from deep and seal the win for the sixth-seeded Timberwolves.
Anthony Edwards finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds despite going 0-for-11 from long range, while Julius Randle added 23 points for Minnesota.
The Lakers, who acquired Doncic in a midseason trade to boost their title hopes, were eliminated in the first round for the second consecutive year.
This marks the fourth first-round exit in five seasons for Los Angeles, raising questions about the direction of the roster and the futures of James and the front office.
Minnesota now awaits the winner of the Golden State–Houston series, with the Warriors currently holding a 3-2 lead.
For Johnson, the message was clear—poor defensive execution and a lack of size cost the Lakers their season.
