Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Recent Struggles Continue as Thunder Fall to Timberwolves

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By Demilade Adelekun | Last updated Jan 30, 2026 9:42 AM ET

The Thunder dropped their third game in four, losing to the Timberwolves 124-113. The Thunder went into the game without Ajay Mitchell, Jalen Williams, or Alex Caruso. However, Cason Wallace and Isaiah Hartenstein made their return from injury.

Though at first glance this matchup looked like a close game, the final score doesn’t tell the whole story. The Thunder never led the entire game. The Timberwolves were in control and dictated the tempo of the matchup. It was unusual to see a team play this comfortably against the former champs. A closer look at the game reveals potentially bigger issues forming for the squad.

Recent Struggles Continue as Thunder Fall to the Timberwolves

Offensive struggles mount as Thunder fail to find scoring beyond SGA

Offensively, it was another average night, to say the least. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the pulse of the team, scoring 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting and adding 8 assists. Outside of him, no one contributed over 15 points, and it showed during the game.

There were multiple stretches of minutes where OKC would go without a basket. It also seemed that everything that the Thunder scored was tough. It was evident that they missed Mitchell and Jay-Dub. None of the players were able to drive and create advantages outside of SGA, and it really halted the offense.

Defensive cracks show against Minnesota’s three-point barrage

Jan 29, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) shoots a three point basket over the defense of Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) in the fourth quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

The defensive side was the most surprising part of the game. Usually, with an offensive showing like this, the Thunder’s defense can carry them to a win. This game was nothing of that sort.

The Timberwolves had a collective offensive effort. Anthony Edwards led with 26 points, and Jaden McDaniels had a great night, scoring 21 points on 5-of-5 shooting from deep. 123 points is the most the Thunder have allowed in regulation this year, and it looked relatively easy for the Timberwolves. They shot 47% as a team from three.

The typical difficulty you see teams face when trying to run their offense against OKC just wasn’t there this game. During this losing stretch, the Thunder’s defense has still been to their standards, but this is the first game where we see cracks in it.

Thunder look to reset ahead of Denver matchup

This bad stretch of games is starting to take a toll on the team. Efforts seem lower than usual. You can see the pressure affecting the group in how they play. It feels as though they are playing not to lose rather than to win. This result of falling to a Western Conference playoff team is something no Thunder fan wants to see.

There is no time to dwell, however. On February 2, the Thunder are slated to face another Western Conference playoff team, the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets, similar to the Thunder, are dealing with their own injury issues, with Nikola Jokic out with a knee hyperextension. The Nuggets are fresh off a two-point loss to the Pistons. Both teams will look at this game as key to regaining winning momentum going into the All-Star break.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: