Timberwolves Can Make the Western Conference Finals a Classic

The Thunder, the youngest team in the league, are taking on a more seasoned Timberwolves squad eager to secure their franchise’s first-ever Finals appearance. With compelling storylines on both sides, the stage is set for another thrilling chapter in this year’s NBA playoffs.

Regular Season Matchups

These division rivals split their regular season series 2-2.

In their first meeting on New Year’s Eve in Oklahoma City, the Thunder defeated the Timberwolves 113–105 behind a 40-point performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, despite being without Chet Holmgren.

The second matchup took place on Feb. 13 in Minneapolis. Despite missing Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and Mike Conley, the Timberwolves pulled off an impressive 15-point win, led by Naz Reid’s standout performance of 27 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Just over a week later, the two teams faced off in a back-to-back on Feb. 23 and 24—first at the Target Center, then at the Paycom Center. Once again, the Timberwolves were without Gobert, Randle, and DiVincenzo, yet still managed to split these games. They lost at home but bounced back with a road win in overtime, thanks to Jaden McDaniels’ remarkable 27-point, 10-rebound effort.

While both teams dealt with significant absences during the regular season, their tightly contested games suggest a thrilling showdown ahead in the Western Conference Finals.

Advantage Timberwolves

Ironically, the Timberwolves’ biggest advantage in this series is their experience. While the teams’ star, Anthony Edwards, is only 23, this marks his—and the Timberwolves’—fourth consecutive playoff appearance and their second straight trip to the Western Conference Finals. In contrast, this is the Thunder’s first deep postseason run with their current core. Oklahoma City hasn’t reached the Conference Finals since Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook led them there in 2016.

Throughout their series against the Nuggets, the Thunder showed signs of inexperience in high-pressure moments. They struggled to close a few tight games – missing open shots and committing costly turnovers – but thrived when playing with sizable leads.

The Timberwolves, despite a lackluster record in clutch situations during the regular season, have turned that narrative around in the playoffs. They delivered in key moments against both the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors, showing poise and execution when it mattered most.

If Minnesota can keep these games close down the stretch, their playoff experience and recent clutch performances could give them the edge in this highly anticipated matchup.

Advantage Thunder

The Thunder have been the best team in the NBA all season. Their dominant regular-season performance—winning an impressive 68 games—has carried into the playoffs, where they hold an 8–3 record. Deep, talented, and defensively tenacious, they’ve shown the ability to blow teams out, a trend consistent throughout both the regular season and postseason.

While the Timberwolves’ defense has been strong all year, the Thunder’s is even better. With Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein anchoring the paint and a seemingly endless rotation of elite perimeter defenders, such as Alex Caruso, Lu Dort, and Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City can suffocate opposing offenses.

Anthony Edwards is nearly unstoppable on the offensive end, but the Thunder are uniquely equipped to challenge him. With their combination of defensive versatility and intensity, they could make life difficult not just for Edwards, but for the entire Timberwolves offense.

The Randle Renaissance 

Julius Randle has been outstanding in these playoffs. He’s elevated his defensive effort and become a reliable presence on that end of the floor. Offensively, he’s playing within the flow of the game—making smart decisions, finding the open man, and using his physicality to exploit size mismatches and score efficiently.

Through ten playoff games this postseason, Randle is averaging 24 points, six rebounds, and six assists. He and the Timberwolves’ coaching staff have helped dispel doubts about his ability to contribute to winning basketball in the postseason—something that had been in question before this playoff run.

While the Thunder boast one of the league’s best defenses, Randle may still find ways to capitalize on mismatches. Isaiah Hartenstein lacks the foot speed, Chet Holmgren may not have the strength, and most of Oklahoma City’s perimeter defenders may be too small to contain him. Dort is perhaps the one defender with the strength to challenge Randle physically, but he’ll likely be tasked with guarding Anthony Edwards.

How the Thunder choose to defend Randle could prove pivotal in this series, and may ultimately determine the outcome of the Western Conference Finals.

Timberwolves Role Players

The Timberwolves’ role players must step up if they want to have a real shot in this series—particularly Reid, McDaniels, and DiVincenzo.

Reid found success against the Thunder during the regular season, averaging 22.5 points and 11 rebounds in their matchups. While he’s had flashes of brilliance in these playoffs, he hasn’t been consistently impactful. Minnesota will need him to replicate his regular-season form against Oklahoma City to gain an edge in the series.

Jaden McDaniels has shown flashes of offensive brilliance throughout this postseason. However, they’ve been just flashes. McDaniels’ lack of consistent offense could pose problems for the Timberwolves in these Western Conference Finals. His defense will always be spectacular, but he needs to reliably contribute on offense to defeat the Thunder. If he stays aggressive—especially in attacking the rim and crashing the boards—the Timberwolves’ chances of advancing will improve.

Donte DiVincenzo’s shooting could swing the series one way or the other. Though he’s contributed on the defensive end, his struggles from three-point range have limited his overall impact. For the Timberwolves to maximize their chances, DiVincenzo will need to find his rhythm from beyond the arc.

Can Ant Take Another Leap?

The final question for the Timberwolves heading into their second straight Western Conference Finals is this: Can Anthony Edwards take yet another leap? Will he be the best player in the series? He certainly has the talent to do so.

But as Edwards himself admitted, he ran out of gas during last year’s playoff run—something that ultimately kept Minnesota from reaching the NBA Finals. This time, he’ll be facing off against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the likely MVP and one of the league’s elite. SGA will be doing everything in his power to assert himself as the series’ best player.

If Edwards can rise to the occasion—playing with intelligence and poise, elevating those around him— the Timberwolves have a real chance to knock off the West’s top seed and punch their ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.