Mark Williams Posts 'Funeral' Meme as Lakers Lose to Wolves After Rescinded Trade
Doric Sam
May 1, 2025
After the Los Angeles Lakers had their season come to an end with a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Wednesday's Game 5, a keen observer celebrated their downfall.
Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams, who was acquired by the Lakers at the trade deadline before the deal was rescinded over a failed physical, took to social media and posted the infamous "funeral" meme after the Lakers' 103-96 loss:
Despite his extensive injury history, Williams was surprised to learn that he failed his physical, which forced him to be sent back to a Hornets team that finished with the third-worst record in the NBA at 19-63.
"My agent told me. I didn't think I had failed my physical. That didn't even cross my mind," Williams told Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer in February. "The night I got traded I played hella minutes. I didn't think in any world that was possible. Since I've been back since the start of the year, I've played games with a lot of minutes. I feel like every injury I've had has been well-documented and I've recovered and been 100% since. So, I don't know what went into that decision. I think that's up to them."
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Williams finished the season with career highs across the board after appearing in 44 games with 41 starts and averaging 15.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocks.
Interestingly, the Lakers desperately could have used a productive center in Wednesday night's loss. Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert destroyed them on the glass, dropping 27 points and 24 rebounds to lead Minnesota to victory. In total, Los Angeles was outrebounded 54-37.
Perhaps the Lakers will focus on finding a reliable center this offseason, but revisiting a trade for Williams doesn't seem likely after his celebration of their playoff loss.
Lakers Eliminated by Anthony Edwards, Wolves as NBA Fans Question LeBron, Luka Future
Andrew Peters
May 1, 2025
The Los Angeles Lakers' postseason that started with so much promise is over after just five games.
The Lakers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves 103-96 on Wednesday as star Luka Dončić fought through an apparent injury but didn't have enough to will his team to victory.
Late in the second half, Dončić drove through the lane for a layup and took an awkward fall, coming up in visible pain. He exited the game and went to the locker room right before halftime.
Dončić was able to return in the second half, but still appeared to be in pain as he labored around the court.
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Despite the apparent injury, Dončić was able to erase a 10-point halftime lead and keep his team in the game for most of the fourth quarter. Ultimately, Minnesota managed to pull away.
Dončić finished with 28 points and his co-star, LeBron James, had 22.
For the Timberwolves, it wasn't young star Anthony Edwards that carried them to the win, but rather their veteran big man. Rudy Gobert finished with an absurd 27 points and 24 rebounds as Edwards struggled with just 15 points.
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With the Lakers' postseason in the books, fans questioned whether the pairing of Dončić and James will be able to find success in the future.
Yeah LeBron needs to call it a day, if Luka stayed at Mavs he’d of had a higher chance of winning the championship that’s how bad it is rn
short term, everyone was worse off with this Luka AD trade.. lakers probably better off in the long run, but lebron will never get to a championship game again. End of an era.
While it's only the first postseason for Dončić and James, it will likely be one of just a few as the 40-year-old James nears the end of his career. With a long offseason ahead, Los Angeles will look to put together the right roster built around Dončić and James that can win now before James calls it a career.
Warriors' Steve Kerr Explains Decision to Rest Starters, Discussed with Draymond at HT
Andrew Peters
Apr 30, 2025
The Golden State Warriors faced a 27-point deficit heading into the second half of Game 5 against the Houston Rockets, and Steve Kerr ultimately decided to waive the white flag early in the third quarter.
After the loss, Kerr explained that he and veteran Draymond Green made the decision at halftime to pull the Warriors' starters if they were unable to cut into the deficit quickly.
"I wasn't going to chase this game, obviously, with Game 6 coming up in 48 hours," Kerr told reporters. "Talked to Draymond, said 'what do you think?' He said, 'five minutes.' So, we gave the starting group the first five or six minutes. Unless we made a huge run, we kind of had in mind that we would pull the plug."
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Steve Kerr: “I didn’t have them ready to play clearly.”
He said there was a halftime conversation with Draymond Green to give the starters five minutes to make a run and pull the plug if they didn’t pic.twitter.com/BThLDI51SL
The Rockets dominated the first half and held a commanding 76-49 lead heading into the third quarter. Kerr allowed his starters to try to make a run, but they could do little against Houston's stout defense, and Golden State made a business decision to start resting for Game 6.
Ime Udoka quickly followed Kerr's lead and pulled his starters. Once the Rockets' starters came out, the Warriors' bench ended up putting together a nice run behind Moses Moody's 22 points, Kevin Knox II's 14 and Pat Spencer's 11.
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Golden State's reserves managed to cut the lead down to as few as 13 points about halfway through the fourth quarter. That spurred Udoka to bring back some of his starters, but Kerr never brought Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and the starting five back into the game.
After the Warriors' late run, the Rockets managed to pull away and hang on for a 131-116 win.
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The bad news for Golden State is that it couldn't close out the series and get some additional rest before the second round. The good news is that the Warriors' starters should be fresh for a pivotal Game 6 at home on Friday.
Kerr will need much more than his starters gave him on Wednesday. Curry was the only starter in double figures, posting just 13 points. Butler had eight and Green had seven as Golden State shot 41.7 percent from the field and 34.1 percent from deep.
Stephen Curry, Warriors Criticized by NBA Fans After Blowout Loss to Rockets in Game 5
Andrew Peters
Apr 30, 2025
The Houston Rockets aren't going away yet.
With a chance to end the series and advance to the second round, the Golden State Warriors were pummeled by the Rockets 131-116 on Wednesday. Golden State will now have to face Houston in a Game 6 rather than getting the additional rest it would have received with a win.
It was a poor performance all around for the Warriors. Stephen Curry led the Warriors in scoring but still finished with just 13 points on 4-of-12 from the field. No other starters were in double figures as Jimmy Butler had just eight and Draymond Green had seven.
While the Warriors starters didn't show up in the loss, the bench should get some credit for cutting a 27-point halftime deficit to as few as just 13 points in the fourth quarter. Ultimately, they didn't have enough to complete the comeback.
After the loss, fans were disappointed to see Golden State fail to take care of business and end the series.
If the Warriors think the Rockets are such scrubs that they can just punt a game and easily win it in six, why not actually just go win the series now and get yourself some rest?
Rockets couldn’t have dreamed of a better 3 quarters… they have completely dominated the Warriors in every way. It’s been a group effort, everybody has been in on this thing… looks like we’re headed to Game 6 in San Francisco
The Warriors will look to bounce back in Game 6 after Wednesday's blundering. If the Rockets steal another win in an elimination game, it could be enough to turn the momentum towards Houston for Game 7.
Lakers' JJ Redick Storms Out of Presser on Video After Question About Substitutions
Scott Polacek
Apr 30, 2025
The Los Angeles Lakers' season will be on the line in Game 5 of their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, and head coach JJ Redick was in no mood to talk about his substitution patterns during a pregame press conference.
Redick appeared to take offense to a question that basically asked him if he will lean on his assistant coaches when it comes to helping with substitutions and then promptly exited the press conference:
JJ Redick was not happy to essentially be asked if he will lean on his staff to help with substitutions tonight: pic.twitter.com/kfA1uAIag4
"Are you saying that because I'm inexperienced and that was an inexperienced decision that I made?" the first-year head coach asked when discussing the lack of substitutions in Game 4.
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"You think I don't talk to my assistants about substitutions every single time out? … That's a weird assumption."
It isn't surprising the topic came up, as ESPN's Dave McMenamin noted Redick became the first head coach to not make a single substitution in the second half of a playoff game since such data was tracked starting in 1998.
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LeBron James, Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Dorian Finney-Smith played the entire second half, which was all the more notable when the Timberwolves outscored the Lakers 32-19 in the fourth quarter to escape with a three-point win.
Los Angeles was an ugly 5-of-18 shooting from the field in that fourth quarter, and James and Dončić each missed critical shots near the rim down the stretch.
Minnesota looked like the fresher team in the fourth quarter and might have the advantage once again if lingering fatigue proves to be an issue for the 40-year-old James and Dončić after they each played 46 minutes in the latest loss.
While Redick was upset with the line of questioning, it wouldn't be a surprise if he adjusted his strategy for Wednesday's Game 5.
Updated NBA Playoff Bracket 2025 Picture, Schedule as Lakers Eliminated, Rockets Win
Scott Polacek
Apr 30, 2025
The season was hanging in the balance for the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds in the Western Conference on Wednesday.
The second-seeded Houston Rockets and third-seeded Los Angeles Lakers both needed to defend home-court advantage in Game 5 of their respective series to prevent a quick exit in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs.
Houston's situation was a bit more understandable, as it is a young team battling a Golden State Warriors squad with a championship pedigree. The Lakers, on the other hand, have LeBron James and Luka Dončić but have struggled to create any momentum in their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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Here is a look at what transpired in the critical matchups.
Wednesday Scores
Game 5: Houston Rockets def. Golden State Warriors, 131-116
Game 5: Minnesota Timberwolves def. Los Angeles Lakers, 103-96
Western Conference
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies (OKC wins series 4-0)
Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers (DEN leads 3-2)
Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors (GS leads 3-2)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (MIN wins series 4-1)
Eastern Conference
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat (CLE wins series 4-0)
Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks (IND wins series 4-1)
New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons (NYK leads 3-2)
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Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic (BOS wins series 4-1)
Upcoming Playoff Schedule: Thursday, May 1
Game 6: New York Knicks at Detroit Pistons, 7:30 p.m. ET
Game 6: Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers, 10 p.m. ET
Wednesday Results
Houston made it clear from the start it wasn't going down without a fight.
It poured in 40 points in the first quarter alone on the way to a 27-point halftime lead as Fred VanVleet continued his torrid outside shooting. Dillon Brooks mixed in some early triples as well, and Golden State also struggled to find an answer for Alperen Şengün on the inside.
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The Rockets didn't just set the tone offensively.
Amen Thompson was a force of nature on the defensive side as he created turnovers and challenged outside shooters. The Warriors were never able to get into a rhythm until they were staring at a daunting deficit, and his defense was a primary driving force for those struggles.
The second half felt like a formality when the Warriors emptied their bench in the third quarter. Yet even that turned into a storyline, as head coach Steve Kerr never brought back Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Co. even when the subs cut into the lead during the fourth quarter.
Ultimately, Golden State was never able to truly threaten the Rockets in the closing stretch that also included a scuffle.
All five Houston starters scored in double figures with VanVleet (26 points), Brooks (24 points), Şengün (15 points, nine assists and nine rebounds) and Thompson (25 points, six rebounds, five steals and three blocks) all stuffing the stat sheet.
Curry (13 points) and Butler (eight points) failed to keep pace on the other side when they were in the contest, and the Warriors will try once again to close out the series when they return home for Game 6.
Unlike Golden State, Minnesota was able to take care of business and close out its series.
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It wasn't for a lack of fight from the Lakers, though, as Dončić labored through an apparent back injury that forced him to the locker room in the second quarter. Although he struggled to run or even move on the defensive end, he still managed 28 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in a gutsy showing.
Luka went back to the locker room after this hard foul.
But it wasn't enough to overcome a stunning performance from Rudy Gobert.
The Timberwolves big man rescued his team from an abysmal shooting performance and finished with 27 points and 24 rebounds. Los Angeles had no interior defense to stop his easy looks, and his ability to keep possessions alive on the offensive glass also proved critical in crunch time.
Gobert's overall showing was all the more important because the visitors were an ugly 7-of-47 (14.9 percent) from three-point range. Typically, a shooting performance like that is a guaranteed loss in the NBA, but Minnesota had enough offense in crunch time.
Julius Randle started attacking the rim and mismatches on his way to 23 points and even took over the offense at times as Anthony Edwards (15 points and 0-of-11 shooting from deep) struggled.
It marked the end of the road for James, Dončić and Co., and the Timberwolves will now wait for the winner of the series between Houston and Golden State.
Tyrese Haliburton Talks Dad's Confrontation with Giannis, Says It Was 'Out of Line'
Scott Polacek
Apr 30, 2025
Wednesday should have been a day of celebration for Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton after he hit the series-winning shot to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday, but he instead was left to answer for the actions of his father, John.
John Haliburton ran onto the floor and started talking trash to Giannis Antetokounmpo in the aftermath of Indiana's win. It was part of a wild sequence of events that also included a scrum when players were shaking hands after the game.
During an appearance on Wednesday's episode of The Pat McAfee Show, Tyrese Haliburton said of his father (45-second mark), "His actions were out of line. I apologized to Giannis, he apologized to Giannis. … There's no excuse and no place for that. I think that he understands that. I think he just got caught up in the moment."
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It was a similar message to his postgame press conference Tuesday when he told reporters, "I don't think that my pops was in the right at all there."
“I don’t think my pops was in the right at all there.”
Hali says he’ll have a conversation with his dad about his confrontation with Giannis 🤝 pic.twitter.com/X19DPyLYl1
John Haliburton took to social media Tuesday and apologized to Antetokounmpo:
I sincerely apologize to Giannis, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Pacers organization for my actions following tonight's game. This was not a good reflection on our sport or my son and I will not make that mistake again.
He also spoke to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star and said he "was in the moment" and realizes he "was wrong for going on the basketball court because I shouldn't have ever done that."
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Yet he also said, "I never swore at him. Absolutely never. I don't swear. Everybody who knows me knows that I don't swear. I can't stand it. It's on record that I say things to my son when he swears on the basketball court because kids are watching him. I don't do that. I don't believe in it."
For his part, Antetokounmpo addressed what he called the "unacceptable" behavior and explained how important humility in victory is to him during his own postgame press conference:
The moment overshadowed a thrilling finish as Indiana eliminated Milwaukee in the first round for the second consecutive season.
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Haliburton scored four points on the Pacers' final two possessions of regulation to force overtime and then helped spearhead a comeback in the last 40 seconds of the extra period after the Bucks took a 118-111 lead.
An Andrew Nembhard, and-1 from Haliburton and two turnovers by Gary Trent Jr. opened the door for the comeback, and the Pacers point guard hit the shot that proved to be the game- and series-winner.
