Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves saw a crushing 128-126 loss in Game 4 at home on Monday night. While discussing the key players for the Thunder, Edwards had to give props to OKC’s big man, Chet Holmgren, for his performance.
“JDub had a bunch of open ones, made some tough ones too. Shai made some tough ones. I think Chet changed the game for them more than anything. The easy points he had, easy rebounds, putbacks. All his points, I think. That was the game changer.”
Holmgren has been a key factor in the Thunder’s success this season, and in an important game, he stepped up for his team. OKC’s big man notched 21 points and seven rebounds, along with three blocks for the game. His ability to stretch the floor was also seen as he shot 2-4 from beyond the arc on an overall efficient 9-14 shooting for the night.
The big man’s length posed a challenge to Minnesota’s frontcourt, as they struggled to get around him. Wolves forward Julius Randle, who has otherwise been an absolute force in the playoffs, notched only five points in Game 4.
The Thunder saw some tremendous performances to close out the game on the road. The league’s MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, had another incredible performance, racking up a near-triple-double of 40 points, nine rebounds, and ten assists. Meanwhile, his co-star, Jalen Williams, came up with another huge scoring night with 34 points on 6-9 shooting from the three-point line.
While OKC’s output was tremendous, it wasn’t like the Wolves played poorly at all. Minnesota saw some valuable contributions from their bench, who effectively carried their weight for the game.
The bench mob was led by Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who had 23 points on 5-8 shooting from three-point territory. He was closely supported by Donte DiVincenzo, who added another 21 points and five assists as well. Overall, the bench combined for 64 points, compared to the starters’ 62.
Where Minnesota fell short in Game 4 was the lack of offensive output provided by their star pair of Randle and Edwards. The Wolves guard, who had put on an offensive masterclass in Game 3, seemed like a non-factor on Monday.
Edwards disappeared on a night when his team needed him to be more dominant, contributing 16 points on 5-13 shooting, another game where he took fewer shots than he should.
The only positive contributors in the Wolves’ starting lineup were Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert. McDaniels led the starters in scoring with 22 points and some solid defensive work by racking up four steals. Meanwhile, Gobert notched 13 points and nine rebounds along with a block.
A loss in Game 4 sees Minnesota in a significantly worse position than before. Having given up a 3-1 lead to the Thunder before hitting the road, the Wolves will be battling to avoid elimination in Game 5 on Wednesday at 8:30 pm ET.
