The Minnesota Timberwolves accomplished a fearless comeback win for the ages Monday evening.
Minnesota erased a 25-point third-quarter deficit in opposition to the Western Convention’s top-seeded Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder (46-11) to choose up a 131-128 extra time highway victory at Paycom Middle.
With the win the Wolves (32-27) snap a two-game skid and, extra importantly, inch nearer to the LA Clippers for the sixth spot within the Western Convention standings.
With just below 20 seconds remaining within the extra time interval, Oklahoma Metropolis guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander attacked the rim, the place he was met by Minnesota star Anthony Edwards, who swatted Gilgeous-Alexander’s shot with 13 seconds remaining.
The Timberwolves’ Terrence Shannon Jr. recovered the unfastened ball en path to a Minnesota timeout with 10.4 seconds left. Following two made free throws by Naz Reid to place the Wolves forward by 3, Gilgeous-Alexander hoisted a contested off-the-dribble 3-pointer to tie it, however the miss accomplished an epic comeback for Minnesota.
ANT BLOCKS SGA’S GAME-WINNER ATTEMPT 🚨 pic.twitter.com/Ap8SEet4VJ
— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 25, 2025
With just below 4 minutes to go, Jalen Williams transformed a layup to provide the Thunder a 16-point margin and what gave the impression to be sufficient to seal one other victory. The Timberwolves had different concepts.
Williams’ discipline aim was the final Oklahoma Metropolis would make in regulation, and the Wolves caught simply sufficient fireplace to spark a comeback within the waning minutes of regulation — all with out Edwards. Inside the ultimate minute of the fourth quarter, Jaden McDaniels transformed an and-1 layup over Thunder guard Alex Caruso, tying the sport with 12 seconds left. On the following possession, Nickeil Alexander-Walker missed a game-winning floater try on the buzzer, resulting in extra time.
McDaniels led Minnesota with 27 factors, 10 rebounds and 4 assists and Reid added 22 factors and 11 rebounds. Edwards completed with a close to triple-double, contributing 17 factors, 13 rebounds and eight assists to spherical out three starters ending in double-figures. Alexander-Walker added 21 factors and 5 rebounds whereas Shannon Jr. tallied a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double off the bench.
Gilgeous-Alexander additionally neared a triple-double with a 39-point, 10-rebound, eight-assist effort on an environment friendly 11-of-20 capturing from the sector. Williams had 27 factors and Aaron Wiggins completed with 19 factors and 7 rebounds within the loss.
What this implies for Timberwolves
Minnesota has been one of many worst clutch groups within the league this season. The Wolves have misplaced 21 video games in clutch time, outlined as inside 5 factors within the remaining 5 minutes. This recreation regarded prefer it was getting nowhere close to clutch time till an unheralded group rallied them.
With Edwards on the sideline with a sore calf, coach Chris Finch stated he almost pulled the plug after they had been down 19 factors with 6:28 to play. However Shannon Jr. transformed a three-point play and one other layup to chop it to 12 with just below 5 minutes to play.
“Once we acquired it all the way down to 12, I assumed we had an opportunity,” Finch stated. “I wouldn’t have essentially put cash on us successful, however I assumed at that time we had an opportunity.”
This was the most important fourth-quarter deficit overcome in franchise historical past, per Elias. Minnesota is also simply the second group since 2002-03 to return again to win a recreation after trailing by no less than 16 factors with 3:45 to go, per Wolves PR. The one different group to do it? The Sacramento Kings did it in opposition to Minnesota in 2020.
Finch caught with a 5 that included Shannon Jr., Rob Dillingham, Alexander-Walker, McDaniels and Reid, and that group rallied to power extra time. The Wolves additionally had been lacking starters Julius Randle (groin), Donte DiVincenzo (toe) and Rudy Gobert (again), however Minnesota discovered a technique to push by for what could possibly be a season-defining win.
This season has been disjointed because the Wolves have tried to maneuver on from Karl-Anthony Cities. However one factor this group has by no means completed is quit. There’s a fiber to them that deserves seeing this factor by. After shedding to Houston and Oklahoma Metropolis in shut video games popping out of the break, the Wolves wanted this one to point out their followers that it’s not time to surrender simply but.
“We stored combating. The group fights. It at all times has,” Finch stated. “We don’t at all times play the prettiest basketball, however it’s been combating for a protracted, very long time.” — Jon Krawczynski, senior author
Finch’s strikes lastly paid off
Finch has come below criticism from some Wolves followers with the group struggling to regain the shape it had final season on the way in which to the Western Convention finals. He has not at all times been capable of finding the fitting lineup mixtures. He additionally owns a part of the group’s clutch time woes.
However Finch made a number of large selections within the fourth quarter to assist win this one. First, the Wolves began to blitz Gilgeous-Alexander to power the ball out of his fingers early within the possession. That they had deployed the same technique of their earlier two wins over the Thunder, however Finch stated he didn’t wish to use the identical method in the beginning of this recreation as a result of he figured OKC can be prepared for it.
He lastly went to it within the fourth, flustering the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander had solely 9 factors on 3-of-6 capturing within the fourth quarter and extra time. His teammates solely scored 17 factors throughout that point, permitting the Wolves to roar again.
Finch additionally determined to maintain Edwards on the bench for a lot of the comeback. The Wolves star had struggled capturing within the recreation, together with lacking 4 free throws. Edwards used a therapeutic massager on his calf all through the fourth quarter and felt ok to get in for the ultimate jiffy in extra time when he had that big block.
Like he not often has this season, Finch rode the younger gamers and it paid off for him in a giant win. — Krawczynski.
McDaniels shines whereas offense struggles
Whereas the remainder of his group couldn’t purchase a bucket for a lot of the evening, McDaniels carried the offense. He confirmed extra playmaking chops than he ever has.
Edwards and Reid couldn’t discover their capturing contact, so McDaniels put all of it on his slim shoulders. He made 9 of 16 pictures and all 9 free throws.
“I noticed development,” Reid stated. “I used to be struggling, Ant was struggling. He was the one one attending to his spots, making pictures and rebounding.”
McDaniels is usually the fourth or fifth possibility on offense when the Wolves are totally wholesome, however he’s displaying he’s able to rather more. — Krawczynski
Required studying
(Photograph: William Purnell / Getty Photographs)