Magic Johnson didn’t hold back after watching his beloved Los Angeles Lakers crash out of the 2025 NBA Playoffs in five games to the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves. With expectations sky-high following the addition of Luka Doncic and a resurgent LeBron James, the Lakers were expected to contend for the title.
Instead, they were thoroughly outplayed in nearly every facet of the game. Shortly after the team’s elimination, Magic took to X (formerly Twitter) to congratulate Timberwolves owner Alex Rodriguez and star Anthony Edwards, but more importantly, to outline the three glaring reasons for the Lakers’ defeat.
“Congratulations to my good friend Minnesota Timberwolves owner Alex Rodriguez, superstar Anthony Edwards and the entire Minnesota Timberwolves team for beating my Lakers and advancing to the next round.”
“The reason the Lakers lost was because they played awful on defense, they were too small, and the Timberwolves dominated them in the paint.”
The Lakers finished the playoffs ranked 12th out of 16 teams in defensive rating, despite having two of the most intelligent playmakers in NBA history. But their defense wasn’t just below average, it was outright exploitable across all critical categories. The Timberwolves punished them repeatedly in the paint, and the numbers show it.
The Lakers ranked 14th in opponent points in the paint, allowing easy interior looks without offering any rim protection. With no true center following the departure of Anthony Davis, the Lakers relied on Rui Hachimura and Dorian Finney-Smith to defend Rudy Gobert, who had a playoff career-high 27 points and 24 rebounds in Game 5 closeout.
It didn’t stop there. Los Angeles ranked just 15th in total rebounds per game, which contributed directly to their 16th-place ranking in opponent second-chance points.
The Wolves were relentless on the glass, grabbing offensive rebounds at will and turning them into easy putbacks or momentum-swinging threes. In Game 5 alone, Minnesota had 18 offensive boards. These extra possessions drained the Lakers’ energy and morale while fueling the Timberwolves’ confidence.
Magic’s critique of the team being “too small” was most evident in transition and hustle stats. The Lakers ranked 15th in opponent fast-break points, a sign of both their poor transition defense and lack of athleticism to recover when Minnesota pushed the pace.
The Timberwolves constantly capitalized on broken plays and poor rotations, burning L.A. with easy points before the defense could set.
Another overlooked stat Magic alluded to indirectly was how careless the Lakers were with the basketball. L.A. ranked 14th in opponent points off turnovers—meaning their giveaways were being turned into immediate scores.
Minnesota made them pay for every sloppy pass and unforced error, and that carelessness contributed to the lopsided final scores across the series.
Altogether, it was a defensive collapse that undid whatever offensive brilliance LeBron (22 PPG), Luka (28 PPG), and Hachimura (23 in Game 5) managed.
Despite 50 wins in the regular season and high hopes, the Lakers were simply exposed by a younger, more cohesive Timberwolves team that beat them in almost every physical and tactical category.
With yet another early playoff exit, Magic’s comments reflect the frustrations of an entire fan base. The Lakers can no longer lean solely on offensive firepower. If they want to compete for a title again, they must rebuild their defense, add legitimate size in the paint, and rethink the construction of their supporting cast.
The window isn’t shut—but it’s closing fast.
