3 Reasons Why the Minnesota Timberwolves Destroyed the OKC Thunder in Game 3

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Anthony Edwards - NBA Playoffs - Oklahoma City Thunder at Minnesota Timberwolves
Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Timberwolves came into game three of the Western Conference Finals with their backs up against the wall. No team in history has ever come back from a 3-0 NBA playoff deficit, to win four-straight and advance to the next round.

It was gut check time for the Wolves, who needed their superstar, Anthony Edwards, to show up in a way he had yet to do during this postseason. It was time for the budding young superstar to spread his wings, put his team on his back, if necessary, and lead them back into this series.

How did the Minnesota Timberwolves turn West Finals around in game 3 vs OKC Thunder?

Anthony Edwards - NBA Playoffs - Oklahoma City Thunder at Minnesota Timberwolves
Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Timberwolves team that dropped into OKC for games one and two of this series, they were left in the Oklahoma wilderness to die. And the team that showed up in the Twin Cities Saturday night… well, it was a completely different squad than anything we have seen out of the 2024-25 Wolves.

Different intensity, different attitude, better focus. And when everyone on the roster is bought in like Ant & Co. were in game three, good things happen. So, here is how the Wolves won game three Saturday night and climbed back into the 2025 Western Conference Finals.

1.) Minnesota Timberwolves came out ready… then never let up

After the Thunder took an early 4-0 lead, the Timberwolves fight instinct — which did not exist in the first two games vs OKC — finally kicked in. In the blink of an eye, the Wolves were suddenly up 16-9. Then, 25-12… and before the Thunder could even comprehend what was happening, the first quarter was over and the Wolves were standing over them with a 34-14 lead.

From there, the Minnesota Timberwolves never let up. After they knocked the Thunder to the floor with their 1st quarter haymaker, they refused to let Shai and the boys off the Target Center mat. When halftime hit, the Wolves had stretched their lead to 31 points, 72-41.

Finally, OKC attempted to counter-punch at the start of the third quarter, which has been the quarter they used to bury Minnesota in games one and two. But after going on an 11-2 run to start the second half, the Wolves stumbled back, got their balance, and delivered the early knockout blow.

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After a Chris Finch timeout to stem the Thunder tide, Minnesota went on a 10-0 run of their own, immediately pushing their lead back to 30+ points. And that’s when reality started to sink in for Oklahoma City. This was not their night. Outside of that initial second half push, the Oklahoma City Thunder never got back within 30 points.

The surrender came quickly, at the end of the 3rd quarter. And when the dust finally settled at Target Center, it was one of the biggest blowouts in either franchise’s postseason history, a 42-point 143-101 Minneapolis curb stomping.

Instead of losing focus with their big lead, something we have seen this Wolves team do throughout the regular season and playoffs, Minnesota put OKC in a full-mount and proceeded to hammer punch them in the forehead until the metaphorical Target Center ring was stained red and Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault was forced to prematurely throw in the towel by pulling his starters late in the third quarter.

2.) Anthony Edwards answered the call

Tonight, Anthony Edwards provided exactly what the Minnesota Timberwolves needed, and he walked onto the court locked in on victory. Ant scored 12 of the Wolves’ first 18 points, 15 of their first 25 and 20 overall in the first half.

And Ant’s teammates responded by shooting the lights out for the first time in nearly two series. Minnesota Timberwolves players not named Anthony Edwards went 6-of-14 from deep in the first half and shot 51% from the field. The Wolves finished 57.3% on the night, as a team, and 20-of-40 from three.

Edwards’ 20 first half points came on 8-of-11 from the field and 3-of-5 from deep. He finished a +36 with 30 points on 12-of-17 shooting from the field and 5-of-8 from deep.

Related: Time for Anthony Edwards to Earn His NBA Superstar Label

It wasn’t just his shot that was falling, though. Anthony Edwards was everywhere tonight in game three, early and often. To go with his 30-piece, Ant posted 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals. I have little doubt that, had the Wolves needed 50 points from Ant tonight, he would have had it for them.

Top Wolves
(Game 3)		MPPTSFG (%)3PT (%)REBAST+/-
A. Edwards303012/17 (71%)5/8 (63%)96+38
J. Randle30249/15 (60%)2/5 (40%)43+28
T. Shannon Jr13155/8 (63%)1/3 (33%)12+11
N. Alexander-Walker18125/9 (56%)2/4 (50%)32+15
J. McDaniels26103/9 (33%)2/4 (50%)64+28
N. Reid19104/6 (67%)2/3 (37%)82+23

3.) Target Center crowd made tangible difference in game 3

The other thing that stood out, while watching tonight’s Western Conference Finals game three, was the Target Center crowd. After the Wolves fell behind 2-0 in this series, it was difficult for even the most optimistic Minnesota sports fans to find hope in what felt like a very unlikely comeback.

But the vibes at Target Center before tip-off on Saturday evening quickly wiped a lot of that hopelessness away. And the Thunder, who play in front of one of the loudest crowds in the NBA, looked shell-shocked by just how insane the Minnesota Timberwolves home arena got during that tone-setting (and eardrum shattering) first quarter run.

Honestly, I can’t say I anticipated the Target Center crowd making as big of a difference in game three as it did. Sure, it’s loud, and that’s better than the home-court advantage other teams get. But for professionals, how big of an advantage can it really be, right? Turns out, it can have a huge impact.

The Thunder played sloppy and out of character all night. They came in over-confident and lacking focus, especially on defense. But Shai was not expecting to get booed every time he touched the ball, Chet probably thought he’d hear cheers.

No chance. This is the playoffs. “Minnesota nice” is dead. And now… we might have a series. But first, the Wolves have to get one more win on Monday night, because getting game four is just as important as game three.

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