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?

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.

ANTMAN 1Q TAKEOVER IN GAME 3 ON ABC ‼️

ANOTHER TRIPLE & SLAM FOR 12 PTS 😤😤😤 https://t.co/PVRIfnifv3 pic.twitter.com/bf9uM5nn3Q

— NBA (@NBA) May 25, 2025

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.

Related: MN Lynx PoBO Cheryl Reeve was 100% Right About Angel Reese

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.

Julius Randle logo 3 pic.twitter.com/H2kMmd0Yjv

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) May 25, 2025

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.

ANTHONY EDWARDS DRILLS THE TRIPLE FOR 25 😱

He's 4-6 from downtown and 10-14 from the floor!!!

📺 West Finals G3 on ABC pic.twitter.com/QMJ3iFbyga

— NBA (@NBA) May 25, 2025

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.

If Anthony Edwards did this back in the 80’s he’d deadass be in GOAT conversations 😂

pic.twitter.com/5B2umgKKIy

— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) May 25, 2025

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.

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.

Anthony Edwards PnR pull-up 3 + steal + transition dunk, great two-way sequence pic.twitter.com/8LGnmer4nT

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) May 25, 2025

Target Center crowd chants “free throw merchant” at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pic.twitter.com/XuIWMKmfW3

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) May 25, 2025

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.

One of the early irritants was Dillon Brooks, when he played for Memphis and they battled the Minnesota Timberwolves in two straight NBA Play-In Tournaments. Last year, we grew frustrated with how impossible Nikola Jokic is to stop, no matter which avenue you choose to slow him down. Then, there’s Luka Doncic and his constant whining to officials… etc.

But through two games of the 2024-25 Western Conference Finals, the NBA’s newly-named Most Valuable Player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has quickly made us all miss Luka’s patented hands up, crybaby face and Joker’s artistic abilities as a big man.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is ruining basketball

No matter how crazy those things once drove us, they did not ruin the game of basketball for everybody watching. The same cannot be said for Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s phony superpower to deceive NBA referees made him into the 2024-25 NBA Most Valuable Player.

SGA GRABS the defenders arm and gets 2 free throws 💀 pic.twitter.com/tfMbQkOUr2

— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) May 23, 2025

They called this a foul on Jaden McDaniels. Shai’s steps right in between his legs and pulls his foot back against Jaden’s foot. There’s no contact. Shai is pushing him with his arm and generates all the contact. pic.twitter.com/v0ZqjeufA9

— will jones ⚒️ (@Will_d_jones) May 21, 2025

The way SGA initiates contact with defenders, then flops to the ground, in order to draw a foul, makes the beautiful game of basketball into a maddening broadway play starring SGA and what appears a hypnotic spell that he holds over NBA refs night in and night out.

Sure, the Minnesota Timberwolves have played like crap through two games, including two devastating third quarters that have pretty much ended both contests early. And what these OKC Thunder sympathizers all simultaneously argue is correct. Playing against Shai and the Thunder is a mental and physical grind.

Related: Timberwolves Big Man Rudy Gobert Narrowly Makes Another NBA All-Defensive Team

What pundits and former players like Jason Williams (ESPN) and Brendan Haywood (NBA TV) refuse to acknowledge, however, is that OKC’s swarming defense is only a part of that maddening equation. In fact, I’d argue it is a small percentage of what wears down Thunder opponents… but here are the arguments anyway.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ranks 23rd in free throw attempts among players who averaged 30+ PPG since 2005 — and just 10th among the last 20 MVPs

Maybe the ‘foul merchant’ talk is overblown 😬

pic.twitter.com/t6QvdqAMbh

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 22, 2025

** Free-Throw Merchant MVP**

They called it greatness when MJ, Kobe & LeBron did it. Now it’s fraud when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander does? Wild. pic.twitter.com/sUzUkYj5PD

— Jay Williams (@RealJayWilliams) May 23, 2025

Toss out whatever stats and free throw numbers you want, guys. All of the evidence is right there in front of us while the game is unfolding. Much of Shai’s greatness is built on his foul-baiting mastermind capabilities. The numbers all become irrelevant when you watch just one game.

‘The Minnesota Timberwolves are crumbling under OKC’s defensive pressure…’

This one is my favorite. The idea that Minnesota can’t mentally withstand the toll OKC put on defensively for 48 minutes. Come on, have we all forgotten that the Timberwolves haven’t taken care of the basketball all year.

Now, we are supposed to believe that turnovers vs the Thunder are suddenly driving the Minnesota Timberwolves off a mental ledge in the Western Conference Finals? That this is somehow the first time these professional basketball players have been pressed and suffocated by opportunistic defenders during the course of their basketball lives?

Thankfully, some sanity still remains in this world. Not everyone who watches these games is buying into the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander propaganda machine. There are some, like former Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone, who have realized what is happening. Here’s Malone after game one, then again after game two.

"[Shai] showed why he's the MVP."

Mike Malone, former coach of the Denver Nuggets, calls SGA the MVP 👀 pic.twitter.com/v8J4m4QOil

— Underdog (@Underdog) May 21, 2025

Malone: "It's almost impossible. A lot of times offensive players like Shai will initiate the contact or hook his arm looking to draw that contact. He is a foul artist" https://t.co/Kr8ODLnZd6 pic.twitter.com/a1MvBKDT13

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) May 23, 2025

Mike Malone, others not buy Shai Gilgeous-Alexander propaganda

Have at that mainstream narrative if you want it. But to me, the only thing noticeably different about playing against the Oklahoma City Thunder — as opposed to other teams, at any and all levels of the game — is the referee whistle that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets, compared to anyone else who as played… ever.

Then, let’s toss in the physicality OKC plays defense with — along with the calls Minnesota isn’t getting on the other end — and yeah, there is going to be a high level of frustration building up, especially for those tasked with the impossible responsibility of limiting Shai. Just ask Jaden McDaniels…

Jaden is all of us. We are Jaden. pic.twitter.com/GFyBO3D6tf

— John Meyer (@meyerNBA) May 23, 2025

Jaden McDaniels on his flagrant call after shoving Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander:

"I just wanted to foul him. I wasn't even mad I just had fouls to use" pic.twitter.com/8bVd7cHHKY

— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) May 23, 2025

Related: Minnesota Timberwolves Star Anthony Edwards Fined Again

Others obviously see it too (including Naz Reid). Hell, all you need is two working eyeballs, something referees clearly do not have when they officiate a game including SGA.

Naz Reid to the OKC Thunder 👀

“Stop flopping, That’s bad hoop bro.” pic.twitter.com/SQZD3uehPF

— Hoops (@HoopMixOnly) May 23, 2025

Is it safe to say that Shai has passed prime Harden as a generational free throw merchant? Grabbing a defenders arm and getting free throws is CRAZY work 🤷🏻‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/sK2YzsdpLy

— Jacob (@Jacobtheclipper) May 23, 2025

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is ruining basketball.

And no matter the stat you show me, it won’t take away from what I watched last night. pic.twitter.com/FPkTezlg1J

— Leighton James (@LGlodek) May 21, 2025

It wasn’t just Shai that was a detriment to Minnesota in Game 1 though. It started when 90% of the team forgot how to shoot. That was exacerbated by a poor coaching performance from Chris Finch, who didn’t get much help from his young superstar, Anthony Edwards, who apparently left his hero cape in Minneapolis.

Just like Gilgeous-Alexander excels at flopping his way to the foul line, former ESPN First Take tag-team partner Skip Bayless has a talent for shocking his way into sports media relevance. We don’t hate on success here, though. People eat up Skip’s outlandish takes. That’s why FOX paid him over $50 million to spew them from 2016-2024.

Minnesota Timberwolves’ Edwards gets ‘Can’t Man’ nickname

And over the past couple months, Bayless — who is from Oklahoma City and does not hide his OKC thunder fandom — has had rising Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards in his hyperbolic crosshairs.

Unsurprisingly, the Wolves’ Game 1 loss on Tuesday night did not draw any sympathy from Skip, who recently created a new nickname for “Ant-Man”, renaming him “Can’t-Man”.

CAN’T MAN IS OVERHYPED AND OVERRATED pic.twitter.com/7OqZwrUXFO

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) May 21, 2025

“All of a sudden SGA (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) went MVP on the Timberwolves while Ant Man, right on schedule, turned into Can’t Man. He just can’t. Second half, fourth quarters, playoffs. I told you going into this, way too often in big playoff game fourth quarters, he has been Can’t Man…The worst player on the floor, says plus/minus, was Can’t Man tonight…I told you, Can’t Man is overhyped and overrated.”

Skip Bayless – X

Look, Skip Bayless may have media’s most punchable face. Most agree on that. Still, Stephen A. Smith’s old Cold Pizza and First Take co-star brings up some valid points. In game one, it’s hard to deny Ant’s disappearing act.

It wasn’t that he was terrible as much as he was nonexistent. Even Edwards was first to admit postgame that his 13 total shots on Tuesday night — 18 points on 3-of-8 from deep — are unacceptable for a guy who wants to be mentioned in MVP conversations sooner than later.

Off-ball Ant is coming for blood in game two… pic.twitter.com/uL1a8kZlqC

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) May 21, 2025

Of course, Ant is not overrated or overhyped. I’m not even sure Skip really believes that himself. But that doesn’t really matter to Bayless. He’s decided that Anthony Edwards is his next LeBron, who he’s been dragging down for decades.

Related: NBA Pundits Agree: Flopping Shai is a Problem for the League, Not Just Timberwolves

Nonetheless, our 23-year-old superstar did not play well in Game 1, and thus, I expect him to bounce back with vengeance in game 2, something that should scare the heck out of Oklahoma City.

No matter what Skip Bayless tries to speak into existence, Edwards is a generational talent in this league and he’ll show that off in this series just like he did in the first two (which Skip has conveniently forgotten about).

And game one played out just as the sportsbooks expected, only worse. A 114-88 blowout Thunder win. While the Wolves did themselves no favors, shooting (15-of-51 from deep) and turning the ball over 19 times (leading to 31 points OKC points off turnovers), it was Shai’s close-knit relationship with NBA referees that stole the show, postgame.

Minnesota Timberwolves fighting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander + NBA referees

Commonly known as “The Free Throw Merchant”, Gilgeous-Alexander drew so many ridiculous referee whistles Tuesday night that it often felt like they were shooting a 2000s Juelz Santana music video. In the second half, when the Minnesota Timberwolves went ice-cold from deep, it was time for the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Show, starring Shai and the Refs.

A little flop here, a trip there and well-timed flail of here… the MVP went 11-of-14 from the free throw line. The Wolves went 15-of-21 as a team. No other player on either team shot more than seven free throws in game one.

And it isn’t just locally that Shai’s flop whistles are garnering attention. Nationally, many pundits around the league saw what Minnesota Timberwolves fans did. The whistle SGA gets is unlike anything ever really seen before and it’s something that can, in and of itself, shift an entire playoff series. The Ringer’s Bill Simmons talked about just that, after game one.

“I feel like Shai is getting this whistle that nobody else in the playoffs is getting.”@BillSimmons and @ZachLowe_NBA react to Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. pic.twitter.com/DScRLtHmew

— The Ringer (@ringer) May 21, 2025

“I feel like Shai is getting this whistle that nobody else in the playoffs is getting. Where there’s these little touch fouls, or these bumps where you’re not even sure who initiated the bumps and he’s just getting it. If you’re Minnesota, the one thing you’re going to come out of the game is we have to get a better whistle on these SGA (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) calls.”

Bill Simmons – The Ringer

None of this is to say that SGA isn’t a great player. You don’t score a league-leading 32.7 points per game by accident. But what would he be without the foul calls he piles up game in and game out, that even other NBA superstars (cough Anthony Edwards) do not? He certainly wouldn’t be averaging over 30 points per game, that’s for sure.

Related: Anthony Edwards Unphased by Timberwolves Loss; Shocked by Postgame Box Score

At 7.9 made free throws per game, there isn’t another player in the league who makes more freebies than SGA, the second-straight season that’s been the case. Attacking the rim, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander does so well, will naturally lead to free throws. But other guards attack the rim too, and they don’t get these calls.

SMOOTH AND-1 FROM SHAI ⚡ pic.twitter.com/W0j20WFaUp

— ESPN (@espn) May 21, 2025

At no point to Jaden initiate contact here. pic.twitter.com/RuYtWOHVmo

— Ted (@tlschwerz) May 21, 2025

Chris Finch and the Minnesota Timberwolves knew that Shai’s quick whistle was going to play a part in this series. What they cannot do, is let it affect the ultimate outcome. It’s also up to the referees. They need to watch the tape, too. Because, while SGA & Co. made the Wolves look bad in game one, no doubt the referees look just as bad.

CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn, during his postgame takeaways, noted how effective Shai’s flopping was in game one, and talked for a bit about how big of an issue it is for the NBA. SGA has made foul-baiting such a major part of his game that he has referees eating out of his hand.

“That is the problem here. It’s not that Gilgeous-Alexander is foul-baiting, but that it’s working. The burden here is on the league to both enforce its existing rules properly and to change broken rules that players learn how to exploit. Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday was a reminder to the league to do both, because, despite Oklahoma City’s incredible defensive performance, all anyone is talking about is what the presumptive MVP managed to get away with.”

Sam Quinn – CBS Sports

It’s so bad that games involving the OKC Thunder often turn into unwatchable, slow-moving slop fests that drag out and make playoff basketball unsatisfying to watch. Here, we are used to seeing Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards get completely mugged and receive no help from NBA referees.

If you’re a Timberwolves fan trying to make the trip to OKC for games one and/or two, don’t order through TicketMaster, which has geographical restrictions on who can and cannot buy tickets. Read more on that crazy story, HERE.

If Minnesota can grab a road win to start off the Western Conference Finals, as they have done early in each of their previous two series, momentum in this series will change nearly immediately.

Western Conference Finals Picks and Predictions: Minnesota Timberwolves vs Oklahoma City Thunder

NBA oddsmakers don’t see that happening, though. All the major sportsbooks have Minnesota as sizable underdogs, not just Tuesday night in game one, but in the series too. And it’s not just Vegas doubting them.

Most national media members have the Thunder advancing to the NBA Finals over the Wolves too, despite this being the ladder’s second-straight trip to the West Finals, not to mention the difficulties OKC had putting away the Nuggets in round two.

Report: Rudy Gobert Dumps Pregnant Girlfriend, Kicks Her Out of House

Nonetheless, the vast majority of NBA experts are leaning into the odds, especially at The Athletic and NBA.com, where 15 of 17 pundits are picking the Thunder. Remember, the Minnesota Timberwolves can proved these “experts” wrong, they’ll be off to the first NBA Finals in franchise history.

The immediate storyline in this series is Anthony Edwards vs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Those are the two superstars who have the capability of single-handedly dictating the outcome in these Western Conference Finals.

These two split four games during the regular season, but they have not played since February and Julius Randle only played in the first game between the two. And you have to believe the Minnesota Timberwolves are desperate to prove last year’s West Finals were a fluke.

Related: Shaq Retells Story Proving NBA (Probably) Rigged 1992 Draft Lottery Against the Timberwolves

Over at ESPN, they seem to have believe more in that eventual reality than their colleagues at other national mainstream media outlets. Still, there are more doubters than believers over at ESPN, too. Out of 13 NBA experts at the four-letter network, a whopping FIVE picked the Wolves.

Still, the Thunder are doing their best to make sure that their home-court advantage in this seven-game set doesn’t go to waste. If you are a Minnesota Timberwolves fan (or even a Thunder fan) who does not live in the OKC local viewing area (Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri and Nebraska), then you are not allowed to purchase tickets through the team’s (and NBA’s) direct ticket sales partner, TicketMaster.com for this series.

OKC Thunder won’t sell WCF tickets to out of town Minnesota Timberwolves fans (or anyone else)

They aren’t hiding it, either. When you navigate to the OKC Thunder Ticketmaster site, you get this ***VERY IMPORTANT*** disclaimer at the top of the page (H/T to @UltimateNBA_H on X for noticing this and putting it on the internet).

All sales to this event will be restricted to residents of Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Residency will be based on credit card billing address. Orders by residents outside Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, and Nebraska will be canceled without notice and refunds given.

TicketMaster – Oklahoma City Thunder Playoff Games

😳🤯WAIT, can I seriously not go support my @Timberwolves in Game 1 & 2 vs OKC Thunder!? I’m trying to checkout and getting a message that my order will be canceled because I’m not a resident!! pic.twitter.com/36gCVblEAR

— Catrell Maclin (@UltimateNBA_H) May 19, 2025

I have never heard of this before. A team telling its official ticket vending partner that it cannot sell tickets to anyone outside of a certain geographical area assumedly that is much more likely to have their own fans in it, as opposed to outside of that area (like Minnesota and the surrounding states).

Related: Shaq Retells Story Proving NBA (Probably) Rigged 1992 Draft Lottery Against the Timberwolves

Just to be sure that this is not an unknown thing around the league, I checked the Minnesota Timberwolves’, New York Knicks’ and Indiana Pacers’ Ticketmaster sites and confirmed that there is no such mention of geographical restrictions when you purchase tickets for any other home venue of the four teams remaining in the 2025 NBA Playoffs other than the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Paycom Center.

Just imagine being that afraid of road fans taking over your arena. Be better, OKC Thunder. Be better.

As the season wore on, however, head coach Chris Finch and his team began to find their stride. Since Julius Randle returned from injury, they’ve been playing championship level basketball.

Despite entering the playoffs as the 6-seed, Minnesota easily dispatched the 3-seed Los Angeles Lakers in five games. They they did the same to an Steph Curry-less Golden State Warriors. And just like that, the Minnesota Timberwolves find themselves in the Western Conference Finals for the second-straight season.

Thunder open as significant favorites against Minnesota Timberwolves

While the Wolves were run off the court by the Dallas Mavericks in their first appearance, this is a much different team than last year’s squad. After dominating their first two series, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said they should be the favorites to win it all.

Well, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Denver Nuggets in game seven of their West semifinals series on Sunday, meaning we get Ant vs Shai to go to the NBA Finals. And the early odds, do not give the Minnesota Timberwolves much of a shot at beating the No. 1 seed Thunder. In fact, OKC is -375 favorites.

A -375 line suggests an outcome predictability at 78.95%. That means the Timberwolves enter the Western Conference Finals with a predicted winning percentage of just over 20%. If that number is shocking to you, you’re probably not alone.

Yes, the Oklahoma City Thunder have been the NBA’s best team all season long. Yes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and the rest of Mark Daigneault’s rotation is incredibly talented. They’re also a young group who’s never been there before, coming in after a hard-fought seveg games vs Denver.

Related: Rudy Gobert Dumps Pregnant Girlfriend, Kicks Her Out of House

Minnesota has been resting since wrapping up their series with the Warriors on Wednesday at Target Center. By the time the West Finals start on Tuesday, the Wolves will have had five days of rest.

The Timberwolves probably need to steal a game or two early in the series if they hope to turn the betting markets. They have won their first road game in each of their last two series. They will try to continue that trend Tuesday.

These aren’t the same Timberwolves

Minnesota and Oklahoma City split the season series. Only once did Julius Randle play, and it happened during their first matchup. He was just 32 games into his Timberwolves career at that point, and the team had yet to find a rotation that worked.

The last time these two teams played each other on February 24, the Timberwolves were just 32-27, and a much different team than they are now.

For the first time in NBA history, there will be 7 different champions in 7 years.

— Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA) May 18, 2025

This NBA playoffs has provided plenty of intrigue and even more exciting games. It’s going to give us a new champion for the seventh-straight season. This is one of the best opportunities Minnesota has had to end the title drought that has plagued the power-four sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL) for decades.

Fans would love to see the Vikings win it all given the popularity of the NFL. A Twins World Series parade to go along with those from 1987 and 1991 would be unreal. A first Stanley Cup for the State of Hockey needs to happen.

There may be no better way to send Glen Taylor packing, usher Kevin Garnett back in, and cement Anthony Edwards as the face of the league then advancing to and winning the NBA Finals.

Related: 5 Players that Fit Minnesota Timberwolves Perfectly at NBA Trade Deadline

Losing sucks, but during the course of an 82-game season, losses are going to happen, especially when your team starts slow, turns the ball over 21 times and misses clutch free throws at the end of the game, like the Wolves did last night. Play better next time, right?

Anthony Edwards unconcerned with late-game free throw choke?

Usually, that would be the attitude. But what has me feeling a bit perturbed this morning didn’t happen on the basketball court. It came from inside the bowels of Target Center after the game, at Anthony Edwards’ locker.

The Wolves blossoming superstar was asked about the three clutch free throws he missed at the end of the game. OKC had just gone up 100-97, with 6.1 seconds remaining in the game. Ant got the in-bound, raced down the court and was inexplicably fouled, as he shot a fade away three-pointer from the left break, with 3.1 seconds left on the clock.

So, after the NBA world had been raving about him for the last 48 hours, Edwards stepped to the line where he proceeded to miss free throw number one… and then free throw number two… before purposely missing the final one. 0-for-3 in one of the most clutch moments of the season, so far. Not great, Bob.

Anthony Edwards calmly hits 3 CLUTCH free throws to tie the game 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ARih8uiaN2

— BrickMuse (@BrickMuse) January 21, 2024

Related: Anthony Edwards Reminded NBA World vs Grizzlies That He is the Future

But look, shit happens. We only remember the big shots that MJ made, not the countless number of times he missed in those clutch moments that have been lost to basketball history. Anthony Edwards will bounce back from one of the more embarrassing moments of his young NBA career.

But it was his postgame interview in front of his locker afterwards that was way more concerning than the missed free throws, themselves. When asked about the misses, Anthony Edwards was not himself. In a nutshell, his answer was, ‘you make some and you miss some’…

Anthony Edwards on missing his three free throws when down three with three seconds to go:

"Make them, miss them, I wasn’t really disappointed in that. Either I was going to make them or miss them, it don’t really matter. I missed them tonight, but I’ll make them next time."

— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) January 21, 2024

Anthony Edwards on the missed free throws at the end of the game. The accountability and growth on full display. I believe him when he says “I missed them tonight but I’ll make them the next time” pic.twitter.com/3i0qoMGqr9

— SneakerReporter (@SneakerReporter) January 21, 2024

Umm, no Ant, that’s not how it works. Single-handedly, you had an opportunity to hit three clutch free throws that probably would have pulled your team into overtime in a prove-it matchup against another top team in your conference and instead of rising to the occasion, you shrunk. You choked.

Anybody who has competed in anything has been there. It’s not a fun feeling, especially when it means letting teammates down. Obviously, I didn’t expect Ant to go into any sort of deep depression over missing a few late-game free throws with the game on the line.

But I did expected honesty about how he was feeling in that moment and what he thinks caused the misses. Instead, we got a cringy non-answer that pretty much confirms what we thought. He started thinking about the moment, his knees got a little shaky and the basket started looking small.

Related: Kevin Garnett Raves About Anthony Edwards, Sneaks in Strays for Glen Taylor

I understand that most pro athletes aren’t going to admit they choked, in that situation and that’s not the only response that would have satisfied me. But it’s important to note that Anthony Edwards isn’t like most superstars, or professional athletes. Part of his “it factor” is his incredible ability to be open and honest, even if it might not make him look good.

For example, he told TNT just a couple of nights ago that he was sleepwalking during the entire first half vs Memphis, before Kyle Anderson had to snap him out of it at halftime. He’s also taken heat for his eating habits. Why?

Because he held up a postgame press conference on time because he was ordering a McDonalds postgame buffet for his hotel room. No matter the situation, good or bad, we can almost always expect Anthony Edwards to be the most “real” athlete to come through Minnesota since Randy Moss.

But instead of the honesty and realness that we’ve become accustomed to with Anthony Edwards, we got a very Karl-Anthony Towns type response to the free throw question. Weird and cringy. Stephen A. Smith just dubbed you the next Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant but you’re telling me you don’t care about missing three of the most clutch free throws you’ve ever stepped to the line for. Come on…

Anthony Edwards blames the refs

But Edwards wasn’t done making weird statements at his locker, after that. Moments later, he was asked about how you best slow down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, an MVP candidate who just went for 33 points and 6 assists against you. Ant’s response – blame the refs: “It’s hard to man, with the calls that Shai gets…”

Asked Anthony Edwards what's the key to slowing down OKC: "It’s hard to with the calls that Shai gets. It’s hard to shut them down. You can’t touch him any time of the game. It’s super hard to beat. That team is a good team, especially when they’re getting calls like that."

— Chris Hine (@ChristopherHine) January 21, 2024

Anthony Edwards on trying to shutdown the OKC Thunder. pic.twitter.com/46H2LomOot

— SneakerReporter (@SneakerReporter) January 21, 2024

I understand that this is how Edwards probably felt during a lot of this game. Shai does get a lot of calls, especially for a young star who hasn’t necessarily “earned” superstar treatment from the refs yet. And I’m sure Ant wants some more of those calls too.

Related: Timberwolves, Wild Streams Officially Coming to Amazon Prime; Twins’ Future Still in Flux

But the refs were not why the Minnesota Timberwolves fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder last night. They lost because they turned the ball over way too many times and they couldn’t hit any shots in the 1st quarter. Then, they blew a late lead and Ant missed three free throws that could have sent it to OT.

So I’m not sure what crawled up Anthony Edwards’ ass last night or who is rubbing off on him that he gave this interview. But I hope I never see this side of him again.

Related: Minnehaha Academy Pulls Big Upset over Bronny’s Sierra Canyon at Target Center

But that’s what Holmgren is. So with his NBA team, the Oklahoma City Thunder (#2 seed in the West right now), in town for a Saturday night matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves (#1 seed in the West), Chet’s high school, Minnehaha Academy held a jersey retirement ceremony for the 21-year-old Minneapolis native.

Entire OKC Thunder organization shows up for Minnehaha Academy retirement ceremony.

I know the Wolves play a big regular season game against the Thunder tomorrow night but it’s hard not to love the support the OKC organization showed for ‘one of us’ Chet Holmgren on tonight. Except Josh Giddey, who they must’ve left back at the hotel to keep an eye on the team’s stuff.

Almost the entire OKC Thunder organization just pulled up to Minnehaha Academy in Minnesota for the high school jersey retirement of Chet Holmgren.

A special night for Chet, Minnehaha, and the entire Minnesota basketball community. pic.twitter.com/HP7i92AvBj

— Joe Doerrer (@jd3hoops) January 20, 2024

For good reason, the basketball world was excited about what 2023 #1 overall pick, Victor Wembenyama, would bring to the NBA this season, as a 7-foot something talent good enough to flip a struggling organization back onto a winning track.

But in the process, they forgot about Chet Holmgren, 2022 #1 overall pick who missed all of last season with injury. He’s been pretty impossible to forget about through 40 games this year. In take-two of Chet Holmgren’s league debut, he’s averaging 17.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game and he’s now the betting favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year.

Chet Holmgren is definitely rookie of the year so far. He brought OKC a whole new dynamic. Crazy co-ordination and feel for the game for his build. Makes shots from everywhere. pic.twitter.com/kZ6y3nF2gI

— Ball Don't Stop (@balldontstop) December 30, 2023

Wemby’s Spurs are in the gutter of the Western Conference while Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have the Thunder fighting with the Wolves near the peak. I love seeing Chet succeed, until tomorrow night and any other time he runs into the Minnesota Timberwolves during his career. In those games, I hope he plays terrible.

Related: Chet Holmgren Named Gatorade National Boys Basketball POY; First Ever From MN

Here is more local and national reaction to Holmgren’s jersey retirement and the support shown by his NBA teammates and the entire Thunder organization.

Very cool moment with ex-@Minnehaha_BBall standout @ChetHolmgren having his jersey retired at his high school tonight. Several @okcthunder teammates were in attendance as well. No surprise Holmgren continues to be a humble young star in the #NBA.@StribSports pic.twitter.com/pMBwvy6g05

— Marcus R. Fuller (@Marcus_R_Fuller) January 20, 2024

Congrats to Minneapolis native Chet Holmgren on his jersey retirement at Minnehaha Academy. Great energy in the building. Most of his OKC teammates came to show support. Thunder in town to play the #Timberwolves tomorrow. #Thunder pic.twitter.com/1E07P16Bak

— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) January 20, 2024

Related: Are Minnesota Timberwolves on Pace for Best Season in Franchise History?

Chet Holmgren speech from his high school jersey retirement today pic.twitter.com/hYMQ33xg6H

— ChetMuse (@Holmgren_Muse) January 20, 2024

Thunder squad representing at Chet Holmgren’s high school jersey retirement tonight. ⬇️

Last month the team repped at Kenrich Williams’ high school jersey retirement. https://t.co/ypZbQA04oB

— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) January 20, 2024

The “Last Two-Minute Report” is used to judge the officials during the final two minutes of games, when they are close. Read more on the report right here or skip it to continue.

Below is the league’s assessment of officiated events that occurred in the last two minutes of last night’s games that were at or within three points during any point in the last two-minutes of the fourth quarter (and overtime, where applicable). The plays assessed include all calls (whistles) and notable non-calls. Notable non-calls will generally be defined as material plays directly related to the outcome of a possession. Similar to our instant replay standards, there must be clear and conclusive video evidence in order to make a determination that a play was incorrectly officiated. Events that are indirectly related to the outcome of a possession (e.g., a non-call on contact away from the play) and/or plays that are only observable with the help of a stop-watch, zoom or other technical support, are noted in brackets along with the explanatory comments but are not deemed to be incorrectly officiated. The league may change its view after further review.

ANYWAYS…. Monday’s 2-minute report accuses KAT of cheating with an illegal screen, that opened up Wiggins for the game-winner. They also point to a timeout that Thibodeau tried to call, even though the Wolves didn’t have any timeouts remaining, which would have been a technical foul and turnover. He realized what he was doing right away and the ref didn’t notice. Here is how the NBA puts it (See the entire report here). You can be the judge yourself after watching it all over below:

(Thibs’ Supposed Timeout: 0:06 Mark at Top of Screen, Towns’ Allegedly Illegal Screen: 0:16 Mark at Top of Screen)

a lot can happen in 8.9 seconds pic.twitter.com/BxGOGctJ7F

— James Herbert (@outsidethenba) October 23, 2017

Alright alright… you might have me on the Thibs timeout, especially when he admitted it to Jerry Zgoda today…

“Yeah, we talked about it. I made a mistake,” Thibodeau said. “I started to call it, but we had talked about that in the timeout before with nine (seconds) to go. So we talked about not giving up the three — because you’re up two — and then what we wanted to run. We work on stuff, because if you’re down timeouts, what are you going to run to get the ball up the floor?”

In a new season when the NBA has reduced the number of timeouts late in games so it speeds the pace, Thibodeau called his signal made to a referee looking the other way instinctual. He quickly then began gesturing for his players to inbound the ball and push it up the floor.

“It was just a mistake on my part,” he said. “But I realized it right away, so we just kept going.”

Now, if they would have called the Towns’ screen, in that situation, there would have been a lot of bitter Timberwolves fans, including myself. Those are the types of fouls you call early on but you swallow your whistle for, in crunch time. Refs shouldn’t dictate the outcome of a game. Obvious fouls still need to be called. Towns’ foul looked hard because of the contact but it was far from obviously illegal. The report even notes that Towns’ stance was “too wide” for a legal screen but doesn’t notate any illegal movement on his part (see above). I haven’t seen too many illegal screens called for stance being too wide so that would have been some BIG bullshit.

When asked about the NBA report, Towns answer was great:

“Nah, I don’t care. We got the ‘W’. That’s all I care about.”

Agreed, Karl. Agreed.

Eric Strack
Minnesota Sports Fan
MinnesotaSportsFan.com @RealMNSportsFan

Sources: NBA.com, Star Tribune