The playoff match-ups for the three and six seeds in each conference have been set and in the West, this pits the Los Angeles Lakers against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Minnesota Timberwolves‘ reward for landing the sixth seed is to face the LA Lakers. And while there are no easy match-ups in the Western Conference, having to defeat LeBron James and Luka Doncic over a seven-game series is a brutal task.
The Timberwolves saw their brilliant post-season run in 2024 ended by Luka Doncic on the Dallas Mavericks.
His step-back three pointer over Rudy Gobert clinched the Mavs’ Western Conference Finals success, and had Doncic tearful reminiscing when the shot was shown in the team’s recent tribute video.
The Luka Doncic trade to the LA Lakers shook up the NBA. It was a stunning move nobody saw coming, and one the Mavericks must secretly regret.
Rudy Gobert was one of several NBA players to react at the time. He could not believe it, writing: “The multiverse it real.”
Gobert’s message implied he felt he was living in an alternate reality, stunned that the Mavericks would actually decide to give up Luka Doncic.
Unfortunately for Gobert, the Mavs did not trade Doncic to a team in the East. His own fate of going up against Doncic in the playoffs is inescapable.
The playoff match-up now being confirmed adds another dimension to Gobert’s reaction.
Now he has to take on the LA Lakers’ version of Doncic, as part of a fearful attacking trident of Lebron James and Austin Reaves.
Rudy Gobert’s fate was to match-up with Luka Doncic once again, and it could be his worst nightmare.
At the time, the responses to Gobert’s message warned him of what might lie ahead.
“Don’t worry Luka gets to cook u in a Lakers uni, thats if u make the playoffs,” read one reply.
“He still gon cook ya ass just inna yellow uniform instead of a blue one,” taunted another.
It’s unknown whether Gobert bothered to read his replies, but he will know going into the match-up that he has everything to prove.
Finding a way to lock Doncic up and inflict a playoff exit on him would be revenge for his painful WCF loss last season.
Gobert should have all the motivation to succeed against Doncic. Doing it, is another matter entirely.
