OKC Thunder Beaten at Own Game in Game 3 Loss

The Oklahoma City Thunder presented an inferior product of itself in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday night.

Dropping 143-101 to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City had no answer for a team-high 30-point, nine-rebound performance by Anthony Edwards and a 24-point outing by Julius Randle.

The player with the Thunder's scoring high? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, naturally, but he couldn't crack more then 14 points in his own right. Four-of-13 from the floor and four turnovers fueld the Timberwolves, leaving Oklahoma City with an out-of-rhythm, disrupted offense.

Minnesota controlled the pace of the game, locking the Thunder down as a cohesive defense. It was a recipe for disaster on a night where Oklahoma City barely shot above 40% from the field while Minnesota went on a three-point tear and having seven players eclipsing double-digit scoring numbers.

But what was intriguing overall was how the Thunder got beat at its own came.

Oklahoma City is a team who generated turnovers at will while converting those turnovers into points in transition. It's been an integral part of their offensive identity as this team loves to run the break and score in that category. And throughout the season, no team could touch them when it came to forcing more turnovers and more points conceded off those turnovers—but against the T-Wolves in Game 3, Minnesota had took control in virtually every aspect.

Oklahoma City committed 15 turnovers to Minnesota's 10. As mentioned Gilgeous-Alexander committed four, Jalen Williams also committed four and Luguentz Dort and Jaylin Williams coughed the rock up two times each. Aaron Wiggins and Kenrich Williams comitted one apiece as well.

The Timberwolves turned those 15 turnovers into 16 points on the other end, though only scoring six pionts in transition in the game.

But those turnovers certainly helped them establish a rhythm and pace to the offense, ultimately playing a key part in Minnesota's efficient field goal percentage and scoring 56 points in the paint compared to Oklahoma City's 14.

It was a tough outing for the Thunder—with the starters having all to do with the initial 30-point advantage crafted by the Timberwolves. It was not pretty. But head coach Mark Daigneault and this Thunder team is too good to be bounced in a manner like that twice in a row.

The team will look to recoup in Game 4 and to snag their identity back.