Just four games in five nights? No problem for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
On Thursday, Minnesota delivered one of its most complete performances of the season, taking down the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in a wire-to-wire win that never really felt in doubt. It marked the Wolves' third straight victory-an emphatic response to a five-game skid that had many questioning which version of this team would show up next.
Before tip-off, the Wolves made a unified statement, both literally and figuratively. Sporting shirts that read “Stand with Minnesota,” the team extended its support to the broader community. Then they went out and backed it up on the court.
Anthony Edwards set the tone early, drilling a three to open the scoring. From there, it was all Minnesota.
The Wolves built an 18-point lead in the first half and stretched it to 21 in the second. Against a Thunder team that’s been one of the league’s most consistent this season, the Wolves didn’t just win-they controlled the game from start to finish.
The shooting display was nothing short of electric. Minnesota knocked down 22 threes on the night-twice as many as OKC-and they did it with contributions from all over the roster. Edwards went 4-of-10 from deep, Naz Reid added 4-of-8, Bones Hyland chipped in 3-of-6, and Jaden McDaniels was perfect from beyond the arc, hitting all five of his attempts.
But it wasn’t just the offense that carried them. Minnesota’s defense came out locked in, holding the Thunder to just six points in the first six minutes.
That early pressure set the tone, and while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still got his-finishing with 30 points on an efficient 12-of-18 shooting-it never felt like he took over the game. For a player in the thick of the MVP conversation, that’s a win for the Wolves’ defensive game plan.
Offensively, it was a true team effort. All eight rotation players scored at least seven points, and six hit double figures.
Edwards led the way with 26 points, but his impact went far beyond the box score. Facing constant ball pressure and frequent double teams, he made the right reads, kept the offense flowing, and added five rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block for good measure.
It wasn’t a flashy night, but it was a mature one-exactly what you want from your franchise cornerstone.
And that’s the paradox of this Timberwolves team. Just when you think they’re spiraling, they come roaring back with a performance like this.
And when you start to believe they’ve turned the corner, they stumble. It’s been a recurring theme for this group over the years: never too high, never too low.
That resilience is part of what makes them dangerous-but the inconsistency is what makes them hard to trust.
The challenge now is simple in theory, but tough in execution: consistency. If the Wolves can bottle this kind of energy and execution and bring it night after night, they’re a legitimate threat in the West. But that’s a big “if.”
Next up, Minnesota hits the road for a three-game trip. First, it’s a back-to-back set in Memphis, with games on Saturday and Monday.
Then they head north to face the Toronto Raptors-a place where the Wolves haven’t won in over two decades. That January 21, 2004 win?
Feels like a lifetime ago.
But if we’ve learned anything about this Timberwolves team, it’s this: just when you think you’ve got them figured out, they remind you why you don’t.