The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder are getting into Sport 4 of the Western Convention Finals in unfamiliar territory. After two convincing wins at dwelling, they have been blown off the ground in Sport 3, struggling a 143–101 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was their worst lack of the season and a wake-up name for the youngest group nonetheless standing within the postseason.
Sport 4 ideas off Monday night time at 8:30 p.m. ET at Goal Heart.
Minnesota Timberwolves Reset the Sequence Narrative
The Timberwolves stormed out to a 24–9 lead within the opening minutes and by no means regarded again, driving a wave of defensive stress, aggressive closeouts, and crowd power to a blowout win that has reshaped the tone of the sequence. It turned a 72-41 halftime lead for Minnesota, with the sport already being determined. Anthony Edwards led the best way with 30 factors on 12-of-17 taking pictures, including 9 rebounds and 6 assists. He had 16 factors within the first quarter — greater than your entire Thunder roster.
The Wolves took away every little thing that had labored for Oklahoma Metropolis by means of two video games, together with the mid-range pockets NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had feasted on. One first-half possession epitomized the shift: Gilgeous-Alexander rose for a mid-range jumper on the elbow — a glance he sometimes drills — however second-guessed himself as Rudy Gobert closed the hole. He twisted in mid-air seeking to move, solely to land with the ball nonetheless in his fingers for a touring violation.
“It occurs. You’re by no means going to be excellent in life, in a protracted season,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned. “You get punched, it’s about getting again up and responding. That’s what the following problem is. We obtained punched within the mouth, and subsequent sport we’re both going to get again up or not. We’ve a call to make for positive.”
The Timberwolves took a back-to-basics method defensively, ditching the zone they’d unsuccessfully tried in Video games 1 and a couple of. As a substitute, they relied on disciplined man-to-man stress and sharp switching to disrupt OKC’s circulate.
“Generally you’ve simply obtained to throw your fastball,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch mentioned. “We have been making an attempt to do an excessive amount of different junk on the market at instances.”
The consequence: Gilgeous-Alexander was held to 14 factors on 4-of-13 taking pictures, with 4 turnovers and solely 4 free throw makes an attempt. The Thunder shot 40.7% from the ground and dedicated 14 turnovers, whereas Minnesota shot 57.3%, went 20-of-40 from deep, and out-rebounded OKC 50–31.
“We spent a lot of the sport retrieving the ball from the online,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned. “It’s difficult to attain in opposition to a well-organized protection, regardless of who you’re within the NBA.”
A New Check for the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder
This was the most important margin of defeat ever for a group that received 65 or extra video games within the common season, and solely the second time this postseason the Thunder misplaced by double digits. They suffered 5 double-digit losses in 14 whole defeats through the common season.
“We simply didn’t deliver it from an power and focus standpoint,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned. “They blitzed us fairly early, after which we have been by no means capable of get again due to it. They only got here out with a way of urgency, and we didn’t.”
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault didn’t dwell on the margin of defeat following the 42-point loss however as a substitute targeted on the broader perspective of a protracted playoff run. Talking after the sport, he framed the setback as a part of the pure rhythm of postseason basketball and emphasised that his group has been resilient by means of adversity all season.
“We all know the ebbs and flows of a playoff sequence,” Daigneault mentioned. “We’ve been on the opposite finish of video games like this, they usually haven’t been predictive of the following sport both. We do have to have a look at it and tackle the issues that went awry for us, however on the identical time it’ll be a brand new sport. It’ll be 0-0 when Sport 4 begins.”
That very same mindset was echoed by Chet Holmgren, who struggled to discover a rhythm offensively and tied his postseason low with simply three made area targets. Regardless of a troublesome efficiency, Holmgren remained targeted on inside accountability and development relatively than frustration.
“We’ve a gaggle of fellows who actually care,” Holmgren mentioned. “At this level of the season and after a sport like that, no person’s pondering, ‘Simply throw it away.’ There’s classes in there the place we will all be higher.”
Minnesota Timberwolves Search Consistency
Whereas the Timberwolves have been dominant, the main focus rapidly turned to sustainability. Edwards remained measured postgame, reminding reporters that the Timberwolves nonetheless path within the sequence.
“We’re nonetheless down,” Edwards mentioned. “It’s only one win. Can’t get too excessive on it. Don’t get too low. Simply obtained to attempt to win one other one, man. This group, they’re one of the best group within the NBA. So, we obtained to have the ability to beat this group multiple time, and it’s going to be powerful.”
Julius Randle, who added 24 factors, cautioned in opposition to complacency regardless of the dominant efficiency. A 3-time All-Star with deep playoff expertise, Randle burdened the significance of staying sharp in opposition to a Thunder group that had managed a lot of the sequence previous to Saturday.
“They’re an awesome group, so we’ve obtained to go and do it once more and play even higher, play more durable as a result of we all know they’re going to deliver it subsequent sport,” Randle mentioned.
Mike Conley credited the group’s return to fundamentals as the largest distinction. After experimenting with zone coverages within the first two video games, Minnesota leaned on disciplined man-to-man protection and aggressive rotations to throw Oklahoma Metropolis off steadiness.
“What works for us is us enjoying exhausting man-to-man protection, enjoying in gaps, being in passing lanes and being bodily,” Conley mentioned. “We’ve obtained to proceed to get higher at a number of the changes they’re going to do, however tonight I used to be proud of the best way that we simply form of hit the reset button and locked in on our method of enjoying.”
Trying Forward to Sport 4
With the sequence at 2–1, Sport 4 represents a pivotal swing. A Thunder win places them one sport away from the Finals, whereas a Timberwolves victory evens the sequence and sends it again to Oklahoma Metropolis with momentum on Minnesota’s aspect.
The important thing questions: Can Oklahoma Metropolis’s stars bounce again? Will Minnesota keep its physicality and taking pictures contact? And the way will every group alter to what has now change into a chess match of defensive schemes?
As Daigneault put it, “In the end, it will likely be a recent begin. Sport 4 will start at 0-0.”
