For the first time, a team with LeBron James on the roster has lost in the first round in back-to-back years.
And with that, the NBA playoffs have 11 teams left in the race for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
James, Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers are out. Minnesota is into Round 2, awaiting either Houston or Golden State. The Timberwolves needed only five games to advance, topping the Lakers 103-96 in Los Angeles to clinch the series on Wednesday night.
Under the current playoff format, which started in 1984, the Lakers were 19-0 in first-round series when they entered the playoff seeded No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3. They're 19-1 now, the No. 3 seed this year getting ousted by the sixth-seeded Timberwolves.
James — if he comes back — will set another record by playing in his 23rd NBA season next year. He indicated that he isn't sure about his future after the Game 5 loss.
Houston fended off elimination by topping Golden State 131-116 in Game 5 of that series, which now shifts back to San Francisco for Game 6 on Friday night with the Warriors — Stephen Curry's aching thumb and all — leading 3-2.
There are two Game 6s on Thursday: New York is in Detroit and Denver visits the Los Angeles Clippers. The Pistons and Clippers trail 3-2, and need wins to force Game 7s that would be played on Saturday.
All times Eastern
7:30 p.m. — New York at Detroit (TNT)
10 p.m. — Denver at LA Clippers (TNT)
All times Eastern
9 p.m. — Houston at Golden State (ESPN)
Oklahoma City (+160) is favored to win the NBA title, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, followed closely by Boston (+200). After that, it's Cleveland (+500), Golden State (+1800), Minnesota (+2000), Denver (+4000), the Los Angeles Clippers (+4000), New York (+4000) and Indiana (+5000).
From there, it's Houston (+12500) and Detroit (+50000).
Dyson Daniels didn't win defensive player of the year. He got the most improved player award instead.
The Hawks' guard took home that award Wednesday, outpointing Ivica Zubac of the Los Angeles Clippers and Cade Cunningham of Detroit in the voting.
And Thursday, Boston's Jrue Holiday was named the league's sportsmanship award winner for the second time.
Other awards so far:
— San Antonio's Stephon Castle won rookie of the year.
— Golden State's Stephen Curry won the Twyman-Stokes teammate of the year award.
— Golden State's Draymond Green won the hustle award.
— Cleveland’s Evan Mobley won defensive player of the year.
— New York's Jalen Brunson won clutch player of the year.
— Boston's Payton Pritchard won sixth man of the year.
— Cleveland’s Kenny Atkinson wins NBCA coach of the year award.
The league has not announced a schedule for other awards — including MVP and coach of the year — along with All-NBA, All-Rookie and All-Defensive teams.
This was the sixth time that a LeBron James-led team has faced a 3-1 deficit in the NBA playoffs. A look at how they turned out:
— 2009 (with Cleveland), Eastern Conference quarterfinals vs. Orlando, lost in 6
— 2014 (with Miami), NBA Finals vs. San Antonio, lost in 5
— 2016 (with Cleveland), NBA Finals vs. Golden State, won in 7
— 2017 (with Cleveland), NBA Finals vs. Golden State, lost in 5
— 2024 (with LA Lakers), Western Conference quarterfinals vs. Denver, lost in 5
— 2025 (with LA Lakers), Western Conference quarterfinals vs. Minnesota, lost in 5
Sunday — Round 2 of the playoffs starts.
May 12 — Draft lottery, Chicago.
May 18 or 20 — Game 1, Western Conference finals.
May 19 or 21 — Game 1, Eastern Conference finals.
June 5 — Game 1, NBA Finals. (Other games: June 8, June 11, June 13, June 16, June 19 and Game 7, if necessary, will be June 22.)
June 25 — NBA draft, first round.
June 26 — NBA draft, second round.
— Preview of Thursday's games: Knicks-Pistons, Nuggets-Clippers.
— Preview of Friday's game: Rockets-Warriors.
— Giannis Antetokounmpo has a decision to make. Stay or go?
— Tyrese Haliburton wasn't happy with his dad's postgame celebration.
— A look inside the numbers of this season, headed into the playoffs
— This may surprise many in Los Angeles and elsewhere: This is the 10th time in the last 13 seasons that the Lakers' season ended before the Clippers' season did. And in one of those three where it didn't happen, their seasons ended on the same day — against each other.
— Minnesota has now missed at least 40 3-pointers in a game twice in franchise history. The Wolves, somehow, are 2-0 in those games. (The Wolves' Anthony Edwards tied an NBA playoff record by going 0 for 11 on 3s in Game 5 against the Lakers, matching the dubious feat previously accomplished by James Harden in 2018 and John Starks in 1994.)
— The Lakers are 2-12 in LeBron James' last 14 playoff games. They were 26-12 in the previous 38 playoff games with James in the lineup.
— Minnesota's Rudy Gobert became the 10th player with a game of at least 27 points and 24 rebounds on 80% or better shooting. The others: Bob Pettit, Satch Sanders, Bill Russell, Charles Barkley, Robert Parish, Dikembe Mutombo, Shaquille O’Neal and Ivica Zubac — all of whom have done it once — and Wilt Chamberlain, who did it 15 times. Gobert is the second do it in a playoff game, with Chamberlain also doing it once in postseason, 60 years ago.
— Teams shot a combined 29.1% on 3-pointers Thursday, the second-worst shooting day from beyond the arc this season. The shooting percentage was 27.5% on Dec. 11 — and on both of those days, the Golden State Warriors played at Houston.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

Minnesota Timberwolves co-owner Alex Rodriguez, left, questions a non call as Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves looks on during the second half in Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry watches from the bench during the second half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla encourages his players during the first half in Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Orlando Magic, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, center, tries to argue a non-call after the New York Knicks won Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in Detroit, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (David Guralnick/Detroit News via AP)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) celebrates after making a 3-point shot during the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Indiana Pacers' Myles Turner (33) reacts after dunking over Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo during the second half of Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) scores against the Miami Heat during the second half in Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Saturday, April 26, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) shoots the ball past Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22) during the first half in Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Saturday, April 26, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, bottom, and Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) reach for a rebound during the first half in Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates after making a 3-point basket during the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets in San Francisco, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis reacts after scoring a basket during the second half in Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, Friday, April 25, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) gestures after making a 3-point shot during the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, Friday, April 25, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero celebrates a 3-point shot against the Boston Celtics during the first half in game 3 of a first-round NBA playoff basketball series,, Friday, April 25, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Chris Paul, right, gestures as Bob Iger looks on during the first half in Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Denver Nuggets, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, center, shoots as Los Angeles Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, left, and center Ivica Zubac defend during the second half in Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) celebrates with teammates during the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Detroit Pistons, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant looks on from the bench in the first half of Game 3 of an NBA first-round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren dunks during the second half in Game 1 of an NBA first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) celebrates after a basket against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half of a first-round NBA basketball playoff game in Indianapolis, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) goes to the basket against Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) and forward Jaden McDaniels (3) during the second half of Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff in Los Angeles, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Memphis Grizzlies interim coach Tuomas Iisalo looks up during the first half in Game 1 of an NBA first-round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown leaves the court after defeating the Orlando Magic in game 1 of a first-round NBA playoff basketball series Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome (2) celebrates in front of teammate Sam Merrill in the second half in Game 1 of an NBA first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat, Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) dunks during the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets in Houston, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns hugs his dad, Karl Towns, Sr., following Game 1 in an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Detroit Pistons, Saturday, April 19, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Indiana Pacers' Andrew Nembhard (2) celebrates after making a 3-point basket during the first half of a first-round NBA basketball playoff game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Saturday, April 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray gestures to the crowd after hitting a 3-point basket against the Los Angeles Clippers in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA first-round playoff series Saturday, April 19, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Alex Rodriguez, co-owner, of the Minnesota Timberwolves, claps during the second half in Game 1 of an NBA first-round playoff series Los Angeles Lakers, Saturday, April 19, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, left, and forward LeBron James celebrate at the bench during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets Friday, April 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Fans react as Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates after making a 3-point basket during the second half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies in San Francisco, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) fights for the ball in overtime of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks, Friday, April 18, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic sits on the bench looking up at a video that was played in the arena as a tribute to the former Mavericks player before an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)