The Minnesota Timberwolves rallied from a ten-point deficit in the third quarter to take the lead and eventually close out Game 4 in a win against the Los Angeles Lakers last night—taking a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. 

For Lakers fans around the globe (and, no doubt, Shannon Sharpe, but I think the ESPN analyst has other, more concerning things to worry about) this was an unexpected turn of events. The meme, “Lakers in five,” has been something that fans of the purple and gold have ran with since the start of this year’s NBA Playoffs, but is now looking as if the phrase is going to be attributed not to The King and his Slovenian protege, but rather Ant-Man and the T-Wolves. 

The “how” and “why” of it all comes down to many factors, but here are three reasons why LeBron, Luka, and JJ haven’t been able to make the “Lakers in five” meme a reality. 

1. “The Others” Haven’t Shown Up

Playing over 30 minutes in an NBA Playoff game and scoring less than double-digits is not going to cut it. Especially when you’re not an exceptional contributor on the defensive end. Unfortunately, such has been the case for both Dorian Finney-Smith and Rui Hachimura. The duo have been a part of JJ’s starting lineup for most of the series, and aside from a decent 23-point outing by Rui in Game 4, these two have been woefully underperforming this first round. 

Additionally, Gabe Vincent, once considered to be Miami Heat’s secret weapon, hasn’t shown that same level of performance with the Lakers, and is averaging less than five points this series while getting close to 20 minutes of playing time. And lastly, Austin Reaves, the man I affectionately call Hillbilly Kobe because of his ability on the court, has been somewhat M.I.A this series, averaging around seventeen points while getting north of 35 minutes of playing time. 

LeBron and Luka can drop 35 points any given night. But 35 plus 35 is 70—that’s not enough to win an NBA game.  

2. JJ’s Lack of Adjustments 

A great man once said insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. And by great man, I mean Vaas from Far Cry 3. Joking aside, by that definition, JJ Redick is clinically insane. Because the Laker coach has been having his squad run the same play everytime down the court. A helio-centric offense that had either Luka or LeBron start by pontificating with the ball at the top of the arc, then driving and kicking the rock out to a player in the wing, who would then either shoot or swing it around the three-point line like a pocket full of posies trying to find the open man to take the three. Rinse and repeat.

This is the classic “you live by the three, you die by the three” offense that half of the NBA does during the regular season. Problem is, the regular season is not the Playoffs, and the Lakers are not the Celtics who have nine guys on their squad that can knock down long-range bombs at whim. There were so many instances in Game 4 where either Luka or LeBron had an open layup and gave it up for a contested three. 

Furthermore, JJ’s insistence to keep the same five on the floor for the entirety of the second half in Game 4 was a Thibodeau-ian type move that made little sense. Forget the fact that LeBron and Luka looked visibly exhausted (which Edwards and the Wolves exploited), but nothing changed in their offensive output. It’s odd that someone like Jaxson Hayes, who’d been such a positive contributor on both ends of the floor since Luka’s trade, and was gelling with Luka on the offensive end, hasn’t gotten playtime. Vanderbilt, who, though doesn’t have much production on the offensive end, is a good defender who could have dealt with Minnesota’s physicality. Speaking of which:  

3. Physicality  

The Timberwolves came to play this series, and it has shown in how intensely they’ve been on both sides of the floor. Anthony Edwards, the league’s leader in 3PM this season, hasn’t rested beyond the arc and instead has gone back to the Ant we loved from last season—driving to the paint, and using his acrobatics and physicality to get to the rim. 

The rest of the Timberwolves squad have matched that energy and have been relentless, making life very difficult for the Lakers, who’ve struggled to keep up. This physicality has made L.A unable to get shots off, make careless mistakes which led to turnovers, and just be bothered by the Wolves and their intensity.

Though the series isn’t over, it may be time to start saying “Wolves in five.”