Anthony Edwards tallied 30 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves overpowered the Oklahoma City Thunder 143-101, drawing their NBA playoff series closer.
Edwards contributed nine rebounds and six assists, shooting 12 out of 17 from the field and 5 out of 8 on three-pointers. The home team Timberwolves reduced their deficit to 2-1 in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals.
Edwards commented, “I was really happy about the energy and physicality we brought. Being down 2-0, it’s all about bringing energy, and we played with high energy.”
Julius Randle added 24 points for Minnesota, setting a club record for points in a playoff game against the NBA regular season leaders and Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who only managed 14 points.
“Quite simply, we got knocked down hard,” Gilgeous-Alexander remarked. “It’s about getting back up. It’s about responding. That’s the next challenge.”
The Thunder, who won the first two games at home, will play Game 4 on Monday in Minneapolis and Game 5 on Wednesday in Oklahoma City.
“We’re all pleased about this, but we know the Thunder will come out with a lot of energy and they’ll be ready to try and win Game 4. We have to exceed their energy and secure a win,” Edwards said, adding, “We’ll be prepared.”
The Timberwolves’ victory is critical as no team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win an NBA playoff series.
“We just didn’t bring our best in terms of energy and focus,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “We lacked a sense of urgency. They took an early lead and we couldn’t recover. We need to step out with more urgency.”
The Timberwolves shattered their club record for points in a playoff game and led by as much as 129-84 in the late stages of the fourth quarter.
“Egually, we must examine our mistakes,” Timberwolves coach Mark Daigneault said. “They were much more physical, much sharper, executed better. They had to outplay us in several areas, which is precisely what happened.”
Randle, who was benched late in Game 2 and was displeased, responded by taking his frustrations out on the Thunder.
“He knows not to take things too personally,” Edwards said of Randle. “I could see it in his eyes. He wanted his respect back, and he got it.”
Edwards, who finished with a game-high of 30 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder on May 24, 2025, was the dominant figure of the clash. The Timberwolves led 72-41 at halftime, with Edwards shooting 8 out of 11 from the floor, accounting for 20 points and eight rebounds in the first half.
“The biggest thing is they came out and played with more force than we did,” Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren admitted. “Wherever they wanted to go, they got there. They wouldn’t let us stop them.”
Edwards tallied 16 points in the first quarter, outperforming the Thunder as the Timberwolves established their largest lead of the series at 34-14. In the second half, Oklahoma City started with an 11-2 run, but Minnesota responded with a 10-0 spurt, eventually leading 103-61 as the Thunder sent their starters to the bench late in the third quarter.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2025/5/25/thunder-timberwolves-edwards-minnesota-rout-okc-in-game-3-west-finals?traffic_source=rss
