G5 referee report: Randle tripping James foul is a wrong judgment The Timberwolves still eliminated the Lakers after a loss

On May 2, Beijing time, the NBA officially released the referee report for the last two minutes of the Lakers vs Timberwolves G5 game, which showed that there was only one misjudgment in the last two minutes of the game, which was a profit for the Lakers and a loss for the Timberwolves. Still, the misjudgment didn't change the outcome of the game, and the Timberwolves eventually eliminated the Lakers 103-96.

The only misjudgment came with 37.5 seconds left in the race. James fell while receiving the ball, and the referee on duty blew Randle for a defensive foul on James, mistaking Randle for tripping James. The referee's report noted that while receiving the ball, James was tripped by the foot of Lakers teammate Reaves and lost his balance. Randle didn't make any foul moves on James. Therefore, it was a miscalculation, with the Timberwolves suffering and the Lakers benefiting.

However, such a misjudgment did not change the situation of the game. By the time the misjudgment occurred, the Lakers were already eight points behind the Timberwolves, and the tide was gone. It's been another disappointing season for James.

After the game, some American media posted James' performance in the past three rounds of the playoffs, his team is only 2-12, the previous two seasons, the Lakers were eliminated by the Nuggets 4-0 and 4-1, and this season the Lakers were eliminated by the Timberwolves 4-1.

Asked after the game how the team will improve their roster next season, James said: "It's a business. You don't know what the squad will be like next season, except for the players who have already signed contracts. To be honest, I have a lot to think about myself. So I don't know what the squad will be like next season and I don't know what situation I'm in right now. ”

James currently has a player option to return to the Lakers for $52.6 million in the 2025-26 season, and he has until June 29 to decide whether to exercise that option or he will become a free agent.