Minnesota Timberwolves’ Historic Comeback: 5 Must-See Highlights & What It Means for the NBA Playoffs

The Minnesota Timberwolves roared back into the Western Conference Finals conversation on Saturday, dismantling the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder 143-101 at Target Center to trim the series deficit to 2-1. Anthony Edwards put on another star-making performance, pouring in 30 points while blanketing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the other end. The third-year guard sparked a 44-25 first quarter that set a franchise playoff record for points in a period and ignited a sold-out “Moonlight Whiteout” crowd that never sat down. Karl-Anthony Towns (24 points, 11 rebounds) and Rudy Gobert (18 rebounds, 4 blocks) controlled the paint, and Minnesota canned 19 three-pointers to flip the script after dropping Games 1 and 2 on the road. Key adjustments from head coach Chris Finch—most notably starting Jaden McDaniels on Gilgeous-Alexander and staggering Towns-Edwards minutes to punish OKC’s bench units—paid immediate dividends. The Timberwolves held the league’s No. 2 offense to 41.8 percent shooting and forced 17 turnovers, turning defense into a steady stream of transition dunks and corner threes. Why Game 4 Could Swing the Entire Series • Momentum at Home: Minnesota is now 6-1 at Target Center this postseason, outscoring opponents by 14.7 points per 100 possessions. • Injury Watch: Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren twisted an ankle late in the third quarter; his status for Monday’s Game 4 (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) remains day-to-day. • Historic Stakes: The Wolves haven’t reached the NBA Finals in their 36-year history and fell one step short last season against Dallas. A 2-2 knot would give the franchise its best shot yet at breaking through. What Minnesota Must Replicate 1. Early Pace: The Wolves attempted 14 shots in the first seven seconds of the shot clock—double their average from Games 1-2—neutralizing OKC’s half-court length. 2. Bench Punch: Sixth man Naz Reid drilled five triples, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s on-ball pressure limited Jalen Williams to 10 points. Winning the reserve minutes is non-negotiable against the Thunder’s deep rotation. 3. Rebounding Edge: Gobert, Reid and Towns combined for 38 boards as Minnesota won the glass 57-38, erasing Oklahoma City’s usual second-chance advantage. Search Interest Soaring Google Trends shows “Minnesota Timberwolves,” “Timberwolves vs Thunder live stream,” and “Anthony Edwards highlights” spiking nationally overnight, signaling massive fan engagement heading into a pivotal Memorial Day matchup. Capitalizing on the buzz, the Timberwolves organization announced extended team-store hours and released additional standing-room-only tickets, expecting another 19,000-plus white-clad fans to pack downtown Minneapolis. How to Watch and Stream Game 4 • TV: ESPN / ESPN2 (alternate broadcast) • Streaming: ESPN+, Sling TV, Fubo, NBA League Pass (out-of-market) • Radio: Timberwolves Radio Network, SiriusXM NBA Bottom Line Saturday’s blowout proved the Timberwolves can dictate tempo, space the floor and impose their size on the Thunder. If Edwards and Towns replicate that two-man brilliance and Finch’s defensive wrinkles continue to frustrate OKC’s young core, Minnesota could transform a once-daunting 0-2 hole into a brand-new best-of-three. Game 4 tips Monday night—expect playoff intensity, viral highlights and another surge in “Timberwolves” search traffic as the NBA’s loudest underdog story presses on.