Thunder vs. Timberwolves Recap: Minnesota Destroys OKC in Game 3 Blowout

Thunder vs. Timberwolves Recap: Minnesota Destroys OKC in Game 3 Blowout

Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals belonged to just one team — and it wasn’t the one with a 2-0 lead. The Minnesota Timberwolves came out firing on all cylinders and handed the Oklahoma City Thunder their worst loss of the season in a 143-101 demolition at Target Center, cutting the series deficit to 2-1 in emphatic fashion.

After being manhandled in Games 1 and 2, Minnesota flipped the script with a dominant performance led by Anthony Edwards, who dropped 30 points on 12-of-17 shooting, with 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals. Edwards set the tone early, outscoring the entire Thunder team in the first quarter alone with 16 points. The Timberwolves stormed to a 34-14 lead after one — OKC’s lowest-scoring quarter of the season — and never looked back.

It was a statement win built on suffocating defense and relentless pressure. Minnesota forced early turnovers, generating 16 points off OKC giveaways in the first quarter alone — more than they had in all of Game 2. By halftime, they were up 31; by the end of the third quarter, 37. Their lead peaked at 45 points, as the home crowd roared with chants of "Free-throw merchant" aimed at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who struggled all night.

Gilgeous-Alexander managed just 4-of-13 shooting, 6 assists, and 4 turnovers — and only reached the free-throw line four times. No other Thunder player scored more than 13 points, and the team lost the turnover battle for the first time since March 25.

Game 4 is now set for Monday at Target Center, where Minnesota will look to even the series. With momentum shifting and OKC reeling from this humbling defeat, the series just got a lot more interesting.