26-05-2025
3 Reasons Why the Minnesota Timberwolves Destroyed the OKC Thunder in Game 3
The Minnesota Timberwolves came into game three of the Western Conference Finals with their backs up against the wall. No team in history has ever come back from a 3-0 NBA playoff deficit, to win four-straight and advance to the next round.
It was gut check time for the Wolves, who needed their superstar, Anthony Edwards, to show up in a way he had yet to do during this postseason. It was time for the budding young superstar to spread his wings, put his team on his back, if necessary, and lead them back into this series.
How did the Minnesota Timberwolves turn West Finals around in game 3 vs OKC Thunder?
Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Timberwolves team that dropped into OKC for games one and two of this series, they were left in the Oklahoma wilderness to die. And the team that showed up in the Twin Cities Saturday night… well, it was a completely different squad than anything we have seen out of the 2024-25 Wolves.
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Different intensity, different attitude, better focus. And when everyone on the roster is bought in like Ant & Co. were in game three, good things happen. So, here is how the Wolves won game three Saturday night and climbed back into the 2025 Western Conference Finals.
1.) Minnesota Timberwolves came out ready… then never let up
After the Thunder took an early 4-0 lead, the Timberwolves fight instinct kicked in. In the blink of an eye, Minnesota was up 16-9, then 21-9, then 25-12… before the final buzzer sounded on the first quarter and the Wolves held a 34-14 lead.
From there, the Minnesota Timberwolves never let up. After they knocked the Thunder to the floor with their 1st quarter haymaker, they refused to let them off the mat. In fact, the first half of this game got downright ugly, with Minnesota grabbing a 72-41 halftime lead.
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Of course, OKC came out of the locker room on fire, immediately going on a lightning-fast 11-2 run. Everyone watching knew they weren't going to go all night without a response. But the Minnesota Timberwolves then responded themselves.
Related: MN Lynx PoBO Cheryl Reeve was 100% Right About Angel Reese
After a Chris Finch timeout to stem the Thunder run, the Wolves went on a 10-0 run of their own and putting them back on top by 30+ points. At that point, it was clear that, in game three, the MN Timberwolves were not going accept defeat.
After their hot start, when OKC attempted to fight back, Anthony Edwards and his teammates jumped on top of Shai and his boys, put them in a full mount for most of the next three quarters, and proceeded to hammer punch them in the forehead until the Target Center ring was stained red and OKC head coach Mark Daigneault was forced to prematurely wave the white flag.
Minnesota made it throughout game three that OKC had no chance to steal this one on the road. After that initial second half push, Oklahoma City never got back within 30 points. By the 4th quarter, the Thunder B-squad was on the court.
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The surrender came quickly, at the end of the 3rd quarter. And when the dust finally settled at Target Center, it was one of the biggest blowouts in either franchise's postseason history, a 42-point 143-101 Minneapolis curb stomping.
2.) Anthony Edwards answered the call
Tonight, Anthony Edwards provided exactly what the Minnesota Timberwolves needed, and he walked onto the court locked in on victory. Ant scored 12 of the Wolves' first 18 points, 15 of their first 25 and 20 overall in the first half.
And Ant's teammates responded by shooting the lights out for the first time in nearly two series. Minnesota Timberwolves players not named Anthony Edwards went 6-of-14 from deep in the first half and shot 51% from the field. The Wolves finished 57.3% on the night, as a team, and 20-of-40 from three.
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Edwards' 20 first half points came on 8-of-11 from the field and 3-of-5 from deep. He finished a +36 with 30 points on 12-of-17 shooting from the field and 5-of-8 from deep.
Related: Time for Anthony Edwards to Earn His NBA Superstar Label
It wasn't just his shot that was falling, though. Anthony Edwards was everywhere tonight in game three, early and often. To go with his 30-piece, Ant posted 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals. I have little doubt that, had the Wolves needed 50 points from Ant tonight, he would have had it for them.
Top Wolves
(Game 3)
MP
PTS
FG (%)
3PT (%)
REB
AST
+/-
A. Edwards
30
30
12/17 (71%)
5/8 (63%)
9
6
+38
J. Randle
30
24
9/15 (60%)
2/5 (40%)
4
3
+28
T. Shannon Jr
13
15
5/8 (63%)
1/3 (33%)
1
2
+11
N. Alexander-Walker
18
12
5/9 (56%)
2/4 (50%)
3
2
+15
J. McDaniels
26
10
3/9 (33%)
2/4 (50%)
6
4
+28
N. Reid
19
10
4/6 (67%)
2/3 (37%)
8
2
+23
3.) Target Center crowd made tangible difference in game 3
The other thing that stood out, while watching tonight's Western Conference Finals game three, was the Target Center crowd. After the Wolves fell behind 2-0 in this series, it was difficult for even the most optimistic Minnesota sports fans to find hope in an unlikely comeback.
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But the vibes at Target Center long before tip-off on Saturday evening quickly wiped that hopelessness away. And even for a team that plays in front of one of the loudest crowds in the NBA, the Thunder looked shell-shocked by just how insane the Minnesota Timberwolves home arena got during that tone-setting (and ear-drum shattering) first quarter run.
Honestly, I did not anticipate the Target Center crowd making as big of a difference in game three as it did. Sure, it's loud, but the Thunder played noticeably sloppy and out of character with their execution.
Sure, it's probably true that OKC came into this contest over-confident, following their hot start to this series, nobody would argue how much Minnesota's home crowd factored into their inability to recover from that initial knockout punch. Now, we'll see if they can do it again in game four on Monday.
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