Minnesota Strikes Back, Annihilates OKC to Trim Series Deficit to 2-1

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Minnesota Timberwolves avoided a 0-3 hole and frustrated the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder squad with a lopsided 143-101 victory, in Game 3 of the ongoing Western Conference Finals series on May 25, 2025.

That was just total madness.

After getting outplayed in the first two games, the Timberwolves gave the Thunder a dose of their own medicine and displayed a much-improved approach in their closeout defense, while also showing more discipline in covering the gaps that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the rest of Oklahoma exposed in Games 1 & 2.

From a sloppy and shaky defensive coverage that cost them the first two encounters, Minnesota flipped the switch and turned into defensive lynchpins after holding the Thunder to their second-worst scoring performance of the ongoing NBA Playoffs.

The suffocating perimeter defense limited Oklahoma to just 14 points in the opening quarter, their worst offensive frame in the entire postseason.

Entering the pivotal Game 3, Minnesota head coach Chris Finch emphasized how they need to set the tone early to grab the pace and the momentum against the no. 1 team in the Western Conference.

With how his wards played, Finch not only scribbled the green check in taking the first 12 minutes, but they did it in a dominant manner where they battered Minnesota with 11 points off turnovers, a thing that went missing in the first two games.

It was like a mirror image. This time, at home, it was Minnesota who piled up the steals and went off to the races for easy deuces. Aside from their revamped perimeter two-way gameplay, the Timberwolves also moved on from their horrendous three-point shooting and torched Oklahoma with six made treys to end the first period.

The Timberwolves’ insane run propelled them to a huge 20-point lead, 34-14, and they couldn’t ask for a better start in the following quarter when Terrence Shannon ignited an early wolf pack avalanche that swelled their lead to 28 points midway through the second.

Shannon, who barely played in the entire playoffs, paid off the trust of the Minnesota coaching staff as he unleashed nine points in nearly five minutes that forced Oklahoma head coach Mark Daigneault to call two quick timeouts out of frustration.

Despite Jaylen Williams and Chet Holmgren draining buckets in the final four minutes of the second, the Minnesota bench mob led by Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker provided the answers and steered the Timberwolves to a massive 31-point advantage at the half.

The Thunder showed some signs of life after an 11-2 start in the third, but Anthony Edwards picked up where he left off from his stellar first-quarter output and sparked Minnesota to another demoralizing run. With nothing going on for Oklahoma, coach Daigneault decided to rest his starters and fielded a full five-man of reserves.

Edwards was phenomenal in the one-sided Game 3 win and top-scored the Timberwolves with 30 points built from an efficient 12/17 shooting from the field alongside nine rebounds, six assists, and two steals.

Julius Randle, who only delivered six points during the Game 2 loss, bounced back big time with 24 markers, four boards, and three dimes.

Minnesota’s balanced attack was also energized by Shannon, Walker, and Reid, who chipped in 15, 12 and 10 points, respectively.

On the other hand, the reigning MVP, SGA, was limited to his worst-scoring outing of the ongoing Playoffs with 14 markers on a sub-par 4/13 shooting. After averaging 14 free throw attempts in the first two games, OKC’s franchise player only had four tries from the charity stripe in Game 3.

Can Oklahoma quickly recover from the embarrassing Game 3 loss? Or will Edwards and Minnesota even the series at 2-2 and take care of their home-court advantage?