Claire De Lune at Crypto.com Arena

The Lakers’ Luka-LeBron era begins with a stumble, not a statement

The Lakers were thoroughly outmatched against the Timberwolves in this season’s playoffs. The team must now address the fixes that need to be made

Dorian Finney-Smith slams his hand in frustration against an empty chair on his way to the shower. The locker room is so silent you could hear a pin drop. In spite of every expert prediction, it was not “Lakers in five,” or, at least, not on the right end of five. The LeBron James, Luka Dončić, and JJ Redick-led Lakers were sent packing by the Minnesota Timberwolves on their home court in Los Angeles on Wednesday, in a five-game series whose final tally doesn’t tell the whole story.