Timberwolves make statement with blowout win over Thunder in Game 3

Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said pregame his team was expecting a "haymaker" from the Minnesota Timberwolves, who were facing a 2-0 series deficit heading into Game 3 of the Western Conference finals Saturday night.

The Thunder may have been expecting it, but sure didn't have an answer for the blow the Timberwolves threw at them from the opening tip as Minnesota dominated from start to finish in a 143-101 victory at Target Center in Minneapolis.

It was an absolute smackdown, and leading the charge was the heart of the Wolves, Anthony Edwards, who exploded for 16 points in the first quarter and didn't really slow down from there. The Thunder scored the first four points of the game, but Minnesota proceeded to outscore them 34-10 the rest of the frame. It was already a 20-point game after 12 minutes.

The onslaught only continued into the second quarter as Chris Finch, in a surprise move, turned to Terrence Shannon Jr., who gave Finch everything he could have possibly wanted. Shannon immediately got to the rim for an and-1, hit a jumper, got a layup in transition and got to the free-throw line again for a pair. He scored nine points in the first 4:12 of the quarter.

The lead ballooned to 31 points by half, and the Wolves' 72 points at the break were their most ever in a half of a playoff game. And if the Thunder thought they were going to be able to change things after the half, they were sorely wrong.

While OKC dominated the third quarters in the first two games of the series — they even opened the third frame Saturday on an 11-2 run — Minnesota didn't let anything slip this go around. The Wolves responded to the Thunder run with a 12-0 run of their own and extended their advantage to 37 points by quarter's end. OKC waived the white flag to start the fourth.

Edwards, perhaps more locked in than ever, finished with a game-high 30 points on 12-for-17 shooting and added nine rebounds, six assists and two steals, finishing with a plus-minus of plus-36. Edwards didn't even play in the fourth quarter.

Julius Randle bounced back from his first dud of the playoffs in Game 2 and posted 24 points, four rebounds and three assists while finishing as a game-best plus-38. Shannon scored 15 points in 13 minutes; Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 12 points off the bench; and Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid had 10 points apiece. The Wolves shot 57% from the field.

Meanwhile, the Wolves defense completely stymied the Thunder, and MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in particular. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with just 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting, six assists and two rebounds. Jalen Williams was their second-leading scorer with 13 points. OKC shot only 41% from the field and just 32% from 3-point range.

The Wolves were utterly dominant on a night they needed their best performance of the season facing a two-game deficit against the NBA's best team. They delivered in a big way, and suddenly, we have a series in the Western Conference finals.

By the end of the game, the Target Center crowd was chanting, "Wolves in 6." We'll have to wait and see.

Recommended articles