In the aftermath of the Los Angeles Lakers' 103-96 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves that ended their season, one of the big stories coming out of Game 5 was how much Rudy Gobert dominated them. ESPN's Dave McMenamin quoted one Lakers team source as saying "Gobert looked like Shaq" against them.

Had the Los Angeles Lakers survived Wednesday’s Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves and kept their season alive, the team would have faced an uphill battle in Game 6. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin,

In nearly every way, the Lakers were outclassed by the Wolves. And now, after a disappointingly early exit, their next task is even more important: selling Doncic that this first-round loss was merely an aberration.