Thunder vs. Timberwolves score: Anthony Edwards leads Minnesota to dominant win to take first WCF victory

For example, this was the fourth largest margin of victory in conference finals history

Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves obliterated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 143-101, in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday night. Minnesota now trails in the series 2-1 heading into Game 4 on Monday. 

The game was all Timberwolves, all the time. Minnesota took off almost immediately and Edwards carried the team to a 31-point halftime lead, the largest in WCF history. It wasn't the only number of note to emerge from Minnesota's win. Below is a By the Numbers look at a pretty history postseason blowout. 

1

• OKC: Worst playoff defeat in franchise history
• OKC: Largest margin of defeat in NBA history (regular season or playoffs) for a team that won at least 65 games in the regular season
• OKC: First team in NBA history to record a 50-point win and a 40-point loss in the same postseason
• Minnesota: Only team in this year's playoffs to record 30 assists and 20 made 3-pointers in the same game (It is also the only such playoff game in franchise history)

2

• Minnesota: Second-biggest margin of victory in a playoff game in franchise history, trailing only the 45-point win the Wolves tallied against the Nuggets last year
• OKC: Second-largest playoff defeat in NBA history for a No. 1 seed, trailing only the 2017 Celtics who lost by 44 to the Cavaliers.

CBS Sports Research

3

• This is the third time in this playoff run that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been held under 20 points. It only happened once in 76 regular-season games.

4

• Minnesota now own the fourth-largest conference finals win in NBA history.

CONFERENCE FINALS	TEAM	OPPONENT	WON BY
1973	Lakers	Warriors	56
2017	Cavaliers	Celtics	44
1985	Lakers	Nuggets	44
2025	Timberwolves	Thunder	42
2018	Warriors	Rockets	41
1982	Celtics	76ers	40

5

• Gilgeous-Alexander's run of five straight 30-point playoff games comes to an end.

12

• Dating back to the 2007 Spurs, 12 of the last 18 NBA champions have suffered at least one playoff defeat by at least 20 points during their run to the title. Only the 2023 Nuggets, 2020 Lakers, 2015 Warriors, 2021 Heat, 2011 Mavericks and 2009 Lakers avoided this fate, and a couple of those teams had a 19-point loss. So, this is not a death sentence for the Thunder. In fact, it may even be a good sign.

SEASON	CHAMPION	OPPONENT	LOST BY
2024	Celtics	Cavaliers (conference finals)	44
2022	Warriors	Grizzlies (second round)	39
2021	Bucks	Nets (second round)	39
2019	Raptors	Bucks (second round)	22
2018	Warriors	Rockets (second round)	22
2017	Warriors	Cavaliers (Finals)	21
2016	Cavaliers	Warriors (Finals)	33
2014	Spurs	Mavericks (first round)	21
2013	Heat	Spurs (Finals)	36
2010	Lakers	Thunder (first round)	21
2008	Celtics	Cavaliers (second round)	24
2007	Spurs	Jazz (conference finals)	26

14

• Gilgeous-Alexander's 14 points is the lowest scoring output in a conference finals loss for a player who won MVP that season since Giannis Antetokounmpo was held to 12 by Toronto in the 2019 Eastern Conference finals.
• OKC's 14 first-quarter points is a season low (regular and post).

16

• Anthony Edwards' 16 first-quarter points were more than the Thunder managed as a team (14). 

20

• Minnesota now owns the 20th-largest playoff victory, in any round, in NBA history.
• OKC's 20-point first-quarter deficit is a season high and the second-biggest first-quarter deficit in playoff franchise history.

27

• Prior to Saturday, the biggest loss the Thunder had suffered this season, regular or post, was a 27-point defeat at the hands of the Lakers on April 6. 

31

• Minnesota's 31-point halftime lead is the largest in Western Conference finals history and Timberwolves playoff franchise history, and it is the second-biggest halftime deficit in Thunder playoff franchise history.

72

• Minnesota's 72 first-half points is a playoff franchise record.

143

• Minnesota: Most points scored in a playoff game in franchise history
• OKC: Second-most points allowed in a playoff game in franchise history, most allowed in a conference finals game

[May 24, 2025 at 11:00 pm ET · James Herbert]

🚨 Game 3 final: Timberwolves 143, Thunder 101

Well, that was different. After two discouraging losses on the road, the Minnesota Timberwolves ran circles around the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals in Minneapolis on Saturday. The Timberwolves led by as many as 45 points in this 42-point victory, and they have a chance to even the series in Game 4 on Monday.

This was the second-most lopsided loss by a No. 1 seed in NBA playoff history. The Wolves scored the most points in franchise playoff history, and they recorded their second 40-point win in franchise playoff history.

It is hard to overstate how much more comfortable Minnesota looked offensively. It committed only eight turnovers (four of the live-ball variety) and shot 16 for 31 from deep in the first three quarters. (Garbage time began late in the third or early in the fourth, depending on if the starting point is when the Thunder pulled all of their starters of the Wolves pulled all of theirs.) It's hard to separate the improved offense from Minnesota's increased ball pressure, discipline and force on defense, though. OKC's ballhandlers looked a lot less comfortable operating in the pick-and-roll, and the Wolves managed to force 13 turnovers through three quarters.

Anthony Edwards finished with a game-high 30 points (12-17 FG, 5-8 3PT, 1-2 FT) for the Wolves, plus nine rebounds, six assists and two steals in 30 minutes. He was plus-36 in the game, and Julius Randle was plus-38. Randle finished with 24 points (9-15 FG, 2-5 3PT, 4-4 FT), four rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes. 

Rookie wing Terrence Shannon Jr. gave Minnesota a boost in the first half and added to his stat line after the game was effectively decided. Shannon finished with 15 points (5-8 FG, 1-3 3PT, 4-4 FT) in 13 minutes, and he outscored every Oklahoma City player.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with just 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting. The crowd at Target Center chanted "FREE-THROW MER-CHANT" at Gilgeous-Alexander when he went to the line, but it didn't have many opportunities to do so -- he shot 4 for 4 from the free throw line in 28 minutes. 

Before this, Gilgeous-Alexander had scored at least 30 points in six straight playoff games, the longest such streak in OKC history.

The Thunder had a nightmarish night on both ends. They shot 22 for 60 (and 10 for 31 from deep) through three quarters. 

[May 24, 2025 at 10:32 pm ET · James Herbert]

End of third quarter: Wolves 107, Thunder 70

Down by 42 points with 2:08 left in the third quarter, the Thunder pulled all of their starters. They closed the quarter with Ajay Mitchell, Aaron Wiggins, Dillon Jones Kenrich Williams and Jaylin Williams on the court.

What an incredible response this has been by the Wolves.

Oklahoma City's most lopsided loss of the season was a 126-99 loss against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 6. Maybe it will make the score look more respectable in garbage time, but this has been absolute annihilation.

If Anthony Edwards is done for the night, he'll finish with 30 points (12-17 FG, 5-8 3PT, 1-2 FT), nine rebounds, six assists and two steals in 30 minutes.

[May 24, 2025 at 10:17 pm ET · James Herbert]

...and out come the Wolves

Nice start to the second half by OKC, but Minnesota has responded with a 12-0 run to erase all of that progress. Anthony Edwards is up to 25 points on 10-for-14 shooting after making a sweet reverse layup and a pull-up 3.

The Wolves are up 86-52 with 6:22 left in the third quarter after a pair of free throws from Julius Randle.

[May 24, 2025 at 10:12 pm ET · James Herbert]

Thunder cut the deficit to 22!

After a 3 from Lu Dort, OKC is on an 11-2 run to start the second half. Minnesota still has a 74-52 lead, but it called timeout to regroup with 9:15 remaining in the third quarter.

The Thunder have made their first four shots of the quarter. Dort and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander both made 3s, Chet Holmgren had an and-1 and Isaiah Joe made a midrange jumper.

Loooong way to go, but this is exactly how OKC wanted to start the third. 

[May 24, 2025 at 10:06 pm ET · James Herbert]

Isaiah Joe starts second half

OKC is changing things up to start the second half: Instead of starting its double-big lineup, it's going with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Isaiah Joe, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.

In other words, Isaiah Hartenstein is on the bench in favor of Joe, who gives the Thunder more shooting.

[May 24, 2025 at 9:50 pm ET · James Herbert]

End of first half: Timberwolves 72, Thunder 41

This has been the half of Minnnesota's dreams (and OKC's nightmares). The Wolves outscored the Thunder 34-14 in the first quarter and 38-27 in the second.

Minnesota's 31-point halftime lead is its largest in franchise playoff history and the largest in Western Conference finals history. Its 72 points are the most it has scored in a half in franchise playoff history.

OKC has trailed by as many as 35 points, its largest deficit of the entire season. Its 31-point halftime deficit is its largest halftime deficit in any regular-season or playoff game since 2021. 

Anthony Edwards is leading the Wolves in scoring with 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting. This has been a balanced effort, though, and their bench has scored a combined 29 points on 11-for-15 shooting. This includes nine points on 3-for-5 shooting (in four minutes) from rookie wing Terrence Shannon Jr., who jumped into the rotation out of nowhere.

You had to expect that, down 2-0, Minnesota would start this game with increased intensity. I did not expect anything resembling this, though. The Wolves have been extremely aggressive on both ends. They're doing a much better job pressuring the ball, getting into the paint and making open 3s than they did in the first two games of the series. They're also taking care of the ball, which is crucial against this particular opponent.

The Thunder are shooting an abysmal 12 for 40 from the field and 6 for 23 from deep. They have recorded more turnovers (9) than assists (7).

[May 24, 2025 at 9:39 pm ET · James Herbert]

SGA finally gets to the line

With 5:00 left in the first half, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drove into a crowded paint and drew a foul on Naz Reid. The crowd in Minneapolis chanted "FREE-THROW-MER-CHANT" at him, but this was notable because it was the first time the newly named MVP had gotten to the line in the game.

For reference, Gilgeous-Alexander shot 11 for 14 from the free throw line in Game 1 and 13 for 15 from the line in Game 2.

Another twist in this game: Terrence Shannon Jr. is not the only rookie to be thrown into the mix. The Thunder put guard Ajay Mitchell in the game while SGA was at the line. Unlike Shannon, Mitchell did not immediately get a bunch of buckets.

With 3:16 left in the half, Minnesota is up 62-32 after a pair of free throws from Jaden McDaniels.

[May 24, 2025 at 9:31 pm ET · James Herbert]

Wolves going wild

This is getting ridiculous. With 7:13 left in the second quarter, the Timberwolves are up 51-23. They've outscored OKC 17-9 in the second quarter. Terrence Shannon Jr. scored nine points on 3-for-5 shooting in his four-minute stint and got a huge ovation when he subbed out.

The Thunder are shooting 7 for 28 (25%) and have committed seven turnovers. Here's Jalen Williams airballing a long 2 right after a timeout:

If OKC it going to pull off a historic comeback, it needs to start soon.

[May 24, 2025 at 9:18 pm ET · James Herbert]

Hello, Terrence Shannon Jr.

Wolves rookie Terrence Shannon Jr. started the second quarter and immediately made an impact: An and-1 on Minnesota's first offensive possession, a pull-up 2 on its second.

Aside from a couple minutes of garbage time in Game 1, Shannon hadn't previously played in this series.

With 9:51 left in the second quarter, Minnesota is up 39-20 after OKC's Jaylin Williams made a pair of free throws.

[May 24, 2025 at 9:11 pm ET · James Herbert]

End of first quarter: Wolves 34, Thunder 14

With about four minutes left in the first quarter, Naz Reid made a 3 from Anthony Edwards, ending his streak of 16 consecutive missed 3s:

An Alex Caruso 3 with 2:16 left in the first quarter ended a 12-0 Wolves run. That 3 was preceded by Minnesota's first turnover of the game -- Edwards lost the ball on a drive. I thought that might be the start of something for OKC, but it wasn't. The Wolves extended their lead to 20 points after that, and Jalen Williams missed a layup at the buzzer.

The Thunder shot just 6 for 21 in the first. They missed nine of their 11 3-point attempts and didn't get to the free throw line.

Minnesota, meanwhile, shot 13 for 23 and made six of its 13 3-point attempts. The Wolves are shooting 2 for 4 from the line.

Edwards (16 points on 6-for-8 shooting) outscored OKC in the quarter.

Just an awesome start for Minnesota. Its defense has been excellent. Hard to imagine the Thunder continuing to look this bad, though.

[May 24, 2025 at 8:56 pm ET · James Herbert]

Wolves on a roll

After a timeout midway through the first quarter, Anthony Edwards immediately made another pull-up 3, then came up with a steal and another dunk on the break. OKC has already committed four turnovers, two of the live-ball variety.

After a Donte DiVincenzo corner 3 (off a kickout pass from Julius Randle), Minnesota is up 21-9 with 5:11 left in the first quarter.

The Wolves have yet to commit a turnover. It's extremely early, but that's impressive against the Thunder.

Edwards is currently outscoring OKC 12-9 on his own. The Thunder have missed five of their first six 3-point attempts.

[May 24, 2025 at 8:51 pm ET · James Herbert]

Strong start for Wolves

Minnesota is up 13-9 with 6:14 left in the first quarter. Julius Randle has made a couple of midrange jumpers (and missed a couple, too), and Anthony Edwards has seven early points on 3-for-4 shooting, including this 3 and this two-handed dunk on the break:

The game started with an alley-oop and a floater from Thunder big man Isaiah Hartenstein. Since then, OKC has shot 2 for 8 from the field.

[May 24, 2025 at 1:37 pm ET · Aaron Gray]

MVP is making life easy for the Thunder

What comes to mind when you hear the words "easy points" in an NBA game? Maybe a steal and a breakaway layup or dunk, but Sam Quinn would argue there was difficulty attached to generating the turnover. The same is true for free throws. The shots themselves are easy. The process that led to them often wasn't.

How Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gives the Thunder easy offense, and how Oklahoma City takes Minnesota's away

Sam Quinn

[May 24, 2025 at 10:09 am ET · Aaron Gray]

Best bets for Saturday's Game 3

The Minnesota Timberwolves are back home but don't have time to lick their wounds in the Western Conference finals. The Thunder have rolled to a 2-0 series lead and have also picked up road wins in their past two playoff series. So can the Wolves hold court at home, or is OKC going to run away with this thing? Sam Quinn has your best bets for Saturday night's action.

Timberwolves vs. Thunder schedule, odds, game times: Western Conference finals dates

Sam Quinn