LOS ANGELES — After playing the same lineup for the entire second half of their Game 4 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday afternoon, Lakers coach JJ Redick decided to make that quintet the first unit for Wednesday night’s win-or-go-home Game 5.
Dorian Finney-Smith started Game 5 of the first-round playoff series in place of center Jaxson Hayes alongside Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and LeBron James.
The aforementioned lineup played the final 24 minutes of Game 4 and has been the team’s most played lineup of the playoffs after statistically being the Lakers’ best regular-season lineup.
The Lakers were a plus-48 in the 108 minutes the lineup of Doncic, Reaves, Finney-Smith, James and Hachimura played during the regular season – a net rating of plus-18.6 per 100 possessions.
That lineup went into Game 5 having played 70 of the series’ 384 minutes, and was the lone Lakers’ lineup to play at least 30 minutes.
Hayes has struggled throughout the series, recording more fouls (eight) than points (seven) in the first four games.
He shot a combined 3 for 8 from the field in Games 1-4, not playing more than 10 minutes in any of the series’ first four games: eight minutes in Game 1, eight in Game 2, nine in Game 3 and four in Game 4, including not playing in the second half.
During his media availability on Tuesday, Redick once again stood by his decision to play the same lineup for the second half of Game 4, and didn’t believe fatigue played a factor in the Lakers’ blowing a 10-point fourth-quarter lead and losing the final period 32-19.
“No,” Redick responded. “And you know what? Looking back now, what did we score 19, 20, 13 in the fourth [quarters of Games 1-3? It’s a trend more so than that. Our two best players missed layups at the end. I don’t think they missed layups because they were tired.”
KLEBER’S DEBUT
Maxi Kleber made his Lakers debut in Game 5 after being sidelined for three months because of right foot surgery he had before joining the team.
The 6-foot-10 German big man subbed in for Reaves at the 2:48 mark of the first quarter, his first game action since suffering the right foot fracture that required surgery in a Jan. 25 loss to the Boston Celtics while he was still playing for the Dallas Mavericks.
In light of his extended absence from the court, it wasn’t clear how much of a role Kleber would have this season for the Lakers if he was able to return.
The eight-season NBA veteran started doing on-court work in early April, ramping up just in time to play at least one game for the Lakers.
“He hasn’t had much practice time with us,” Redick said before the game. “But he’s been very diligent with his work and trying to get back in time to play in the playoffs.”
The Lakers acquired Kleber and forward Markieff Morris as part of the trade for Doncic in early February.
Kleber is in the second year of a three-year, $33 million contract. He has a $11 million guaranteed salary for 2025-26.
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