The Lakers' lack of a true center was exploited throughout the series, particularly in Wednesday's matchup. Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, who had not scored more than six points or secured more than 10 rebounds prior to Game 5, dominated with 27 points and 24 boards to send Minnesota to the next round.

From the moment the trade happened, most could see Los Angeles shifted its timeline by swapping Anthony Davis for Luka Dončić. Dončić is six years younger than Davis, and more importantly, AD's departure exacerbated one of the team's biggest issues. L.A.'s lack of interior protection was exposed again and again by Minnesota.

The 40-year-old superstar said “I don’t know” when asked after a first-round loss to the Timberwolves how many more seasons he plans to play.

Jrue Holiday of the Boston Celtics has won the NBA's sportsmanship award for the second time, making him the fifth player in league history to win that trophy in multiple years. Holiday received about 34% of the first-place votes cast by nearly 400 current NBA players to decide the award winner.

The Boston Celtics are the favorites to win the Eastern Conference, and they have the second-best odds to take home the NBA title, which would be their second consecutive and 19th

Jayson Tatum had 35 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, and the Boston Celtics pulled away after Magic star Paolo Banchero went to the bench with five fouls, beating Orlando 120-89 in Game 5 of the