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[Saba Sports News] The Minnesota Timberwolves delivered a statement win in Game 3, handing head coach Mark Daigneault and the Oklahoma City Thunder their worst postseason loss with a 143-101 rout that sent Target Center into a frenzy.
From the opening tip, the Thunder looked overwhelmed. After giving up a 34-14 run in the first quarter, Oklahoma City was outscored 38-27 in the second, allowing Minnesota to pile up a staggering 72 first-half points. Thunder fans were left stunned as the blowout unfolded.
By the end of the third quarter, Daigneault had emptied his bench, conceding the game as Minnesota cruised past the 140-point mark. The energy inside the arena didn’t let up even after the final buzzer — a loud group of Timberwolves fans howled so fiercely on their way out that it disrupted Daigneault’s postgame press conference, making it hard for him to hear reporters’ questions.
“The looks—we generated more rhythm in the other games than we did tonight,” Daigneault said. “Some of that was them. They did a great job on both ends, especially from the jump. And some of it was us. We’ve got to fix what we can control and be a much better team in Game 4.”
Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards set the tone early, scoring 16 of his 30 points in the first quarter and leading seven Minnesota players in double figures. The Wolves also spoiled Chet Holmgren’s playoff homecoming. The Minneapolis native finished with 10 points on 3-of-7 shooting. Meanwhile, OKC’s All-Star duo of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams combined for just 27 points on 7-of-22 shooting.
Despite the blowout, the Thunder still lead the Western Conference Finals series 2-1.