Down 3-1 against the NBA’s best team, the Minnesota Timberwolves were facing monumental odds against extending the series and living on to fight another day. Regardless, before tip-off at the Paycom Center, Timberwolves fans were hopeful to pull off a miracle tonight and somehow force a Game 6 back in Minnesota.
Instead, what started as hope quickly devolved into panic when the Wolves opened the game with a nine-point first quarter. Almost immediately, they found themselves down by 20+ points, ultimately taking a 33-point deficit into halftime. The Thunder cruised for the rest of the game, snuffing out any comeback attempts from the Timberwolves to cement the 30-point victory (124-94).
On social media, most fans were surprised by the results of this game, and many expected better from a Timberwolves team that looked so good in the first two rounds. For whatever reason, they just didn’t have it in this series, and you have to give credit to the Thunder for the way they stepped up.
“Once in a lifetime experience,” wrote one Thunder fan. “We will never forget what we are witnessing.”
This win officially marks a major victory for the Thunder, who are now slated to make their first Finals appearance since 2012. It was a true team-wide effort for the ball club, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who averaged 31.4 points per game in the series.
“Not taking this Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playoff run for granted, pretty much cooked everybody that was in front of him and on his way to the NBA Finals,” wrote one fan on X. “One of craziest playoff runs for a guard.”
Despite their youth and inexperience, the Thunder have proven themselves as a legitimate championship-level team, and if they’re able to win it all this year, it might just cement their place in history as one of the greatest teams of all time.
“It’s been said, and it will be said a lot in the next week, but what OKC has done is incredible,” read one post by Chris Mannix. “Three years ago, the Thunder were a 24-win team. Two years ago, they were in the lottery. An absolute clinic on building a winner.”
Meanwhile, on the other side, it was a putrid display from the Timberwolves, riddled with careless turnovers and poor shot selection. Once they lost control early on, it’s almost like the Wolves gave up and just conceded the game altogether.
“Losing is one thing. Watching horrible basketball for an entire series is another,” wrote one critic. “That was terrible basketball by the Timberwolves.”
This will no doubt be a troubling loss for Anthony Edwards, who dropped [] in the game. He’ll just have to make peace with the defeat for now until his team can regroup this summer and make the necessary adjustments.
“Anthony ‘Face of the NBA’ Edwards just led his team to a single-digit quarter in the NBA playoffs,” posted one fan on Edwards.
The Thunder will have a few days of rest before starting the Finals (Game 1 on June 5th), but they might know their opponent as early as tomorrow. If the Pacers win, it will be a showdown against Tyrese Haliburton and the crew. If the Knicks win, there’s a chance they could complete a comeback and take their place instead. Either way, the Thunder like their odds, and they believe they’re ready to bring home a championship.
