The Los Angeles Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday night. It’s Game 5 of their Western Conference first-round series. Minnesota leads the series 3-1 and can close it out with one more win.
In Game 4, Minnesota came back in the fourth quarter to win 116-113. The Timberwolves outscored the Lakers 32-19 in the final period, led by Anthony Edwards who finished with 43 points. Los Angeles is now in a must-win situation and needs to win three straight to advance.
Lakers Preview – Stars Need to Deliver at Home
The Lakers enter this game as the 3-seed in the West with a 50-32 record. They’ve been good at home all season, going 32-11 in their own building. But the team has dropped the last two games in this series and has little margin for error now.
Luka Doncic scored 38 points in Game 4 after being limited in Game 3. LeBron James added 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists while Rui Hachimura chipped in 23 points. The Lakers actually shot better from the field than Minnesota but faded late as they shot just 27.8% in the fourth.
Los Angeles has struggled in the second half of games during the series. They’ve failed to win the fourth quarter in all three of their losses. If they want to extend the series, they’ll need more support from the bench and better execution in crunch time.
Timberwolves Preview – Edwards Leading the Way
Minnesota is the 6-seed in the West with a 49-33 regular season record. Including playoffs, the Timberwolves are 20-5 since March 2. Their offense has come alive in this series, scoring 116 points in each of the last two games.
Anthony Edwards is playing at an elite level, averaging over 30 points in the series. He dropped 43 points in Game 4, with 16 coming in the fourth quarter alone. Julius Randle added 25 points and Jaden McDaniels finished with a double-double, posting 16 points and 11 rebounds.
The Timberwolves have shown strong trends late in games, especially in the fourth quarter. They’ve covered the 4Q spread in 38 of their last 57 games. Their ability to close has made the difference, and they’ve won 17 of their last 25 road games.
Betting Prediction
The Lakers are 5.5-point favorites at home, with the total set at 209.5. The Timberwolves have covered two straight games and are getting strong production from their stars. The Lakers need to play nearly perfect to keep their season alive.
Minnesota has momentum and better late-game play. Even with the crowd behind them, the Lakers may struggle to stop Edwards if he gets hot again. This game could stay close, but the Timberwolves are worth a look on the spread and the moneyline.
Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves +5.5
Take Minnesota in this game. Enjoy the game and best of luck with all your NBA Betting.
