Watch: Wolf Stepping on Thunder at 42, Back to the Western Conference Finals – Basketball Insider
Minnesota’s Timberwolves returned to the Western Conference Finals with the Oklahoma City Thunder (143-101).
Anthony Edwards came out like a man, completing 30 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. He shot 17 from the field, including 5 from 3-point shooting percentage. Julius Randle rebounded in a big way after just six points in Game 2. He scored 24 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.
To change everything, Wolves head coach introduced Terrence Shannon Jr. to the game. It was a much-needed spark on the bench as he led Minnesota’s reserves on a score of 15. Overall, Wolves’ bench scored 66 points to provide the support missing in the previous two games.
Oklahoma City has never played this game, surpassing Minnesota’s defense 34-14 in the first quarter. The wolf was extremely physical and sharp from the tip, and the thunder never came close to recovery.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored just 14 points in 13 shots and 4 turnovers. Jalen Williams scored 13 points in nine shots.
“To be honest, it’s more important than what we are capable of,” said veteran Wolves guard Mike Conley. “So now we have set standards for ourselves, for example, why don’t we play this type of effort every night? So if we don’t, then the next game is on us. It has nothing to do with them.”
Minnesota is now 2-1 behind the Best Series seven times.
Thunder Received Wake-up Call
After the first two completely dominant games, it’s hard to see how the Wolf gets back into the series. The Thunder completely determines their offensive end in defense.
It turns out that some home cooking has a long way to go in changing the dynamics of this series. Role players have traditionally performed better at home, and that is certainly the case in Game 3. However, the tone is set early by the starter.
“They kept their pace tonight and we could never give ourselves any traction in the game,” Thunder coach Mark Digneault said. “I think their defensive pressure and physical must be early.
Oklahoma City showed a tendency to learn quickly in these playoffs, especially for the Denver Nuggets. Despite 68 regular season wins, it’s still a young playoff team. They might just take their feet out of the gas a little bit, and the wolf is ready to extinguish them.
Game 4 of this series will be held Monday at 8:30 PM ET.
