The Timberwolves earned their first win of the series with a dominating 143-101 victory against the Thunder in Game 3 Saturday. They set a franchise record for most points in a playoff game, shot 57.3% from the field and battered the Thunder in rebounding with a 50-31 edge. Hopefully for the Timberwolves, they saved some scoring for the rest of the series. All-NBA guard Anthony Edwards scored a game-high 30 points, and Julius Randle added 24 for the Timberwolves.
The Oklahoma City Thunder entered Game 3 of the Western Conference finals out for blood—raring to take full control of a series in which they were heavily favored. That would have made a good story if the Thunder showed up. Instead, the Minnesota Timberwolves demolished Oklahoma City 143–101 in a dazzling home-court display of their offensive depth. Oklahoma City—68-14 this year—was outmatched from the start, going down by 20 after the first quarter and 31 at the break. Its futility handed the Timberwolves a slice of history: their 42-point margin of victory was the largest ever against a 65-win team in either the regular or postseason.
The Timberwolves threw the first punch and the Thunder stayed on the mat Saturday night. Now, according to new MVP and Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, it’s time for the NBA championship favorites to show their resolve. “You get punched, you get back up. It’s about responding. That’s what the next challenge is,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after Saturday’s 143-101 blowout loss to the Timberwolves. “We got punched in the mouth today. Next game, we’re either going to get back up or not [and] we’ll lose the game. We have a decision to make, for sure.” What decision the Thunder make will play out Monday night in Game 4, and they will have the next 24-plus hours to rue this embrassing loss.
