Thunder Fight Back From Blowout, Catch Fire in Minneapolis
No one expected fireworks like this after the beating Oklahoma City took in Game 3, but on May 26 in Minnesota, the Thunder answered with a razor-thin 128-126 win that has them staring at an NBA Finals bid. The spotlight at Target Center was bright, the crowd desperate for something to cheer about, but Oklahoma City had other plans—showing grit, resilience, and just enough clever basketball to wrestle back series control at 3-1.
The turnaround was glaring. In Game 3, the Thunder were battered by 42 points, sparking doubt about their toughness. But head coach Mark Daigneault rallied his squad, and it showed early. Defensive energy was up. Rotations were crisp. On offense, they spread the floor and punished defensive lapses, led by none other than Gilles Alexandre, who made a statement with 11 quick points and a little bit of everything—spin moves to the rim and a slick first-half three that got the bench on its feet.
Jaylen Williams, meanwhile, was a man on a mission. He racked up 15 points in a hurry, bulldozing through traffic on the break and sticking jumpers over mismatches. Every run by the Timberwolves was met with a counterpunch from Williams or a timely swish from Dante DiVincenzo, who burned Minnesota with his signature outside shooting in the opening quarter.
Edwards Leaves It All Out There, But Wolves Fall Short
If Minnesota had a chance, it was on the shoulders of Anthony Edwards. And, boy, did he try, hitting tough buckets and drawing contact to will his way to 15 points. Time and again, he sliced into the paint, only to find Thunder bodies everywhere, collapsing to swarm him. The problem for coach Chris Finch? The rest of the Timberwolves couldn’t match that energy when it mattered most, especially with OKC’s shooters spreading the defense thin.
The final few minutes were heart-in-throat stuff. A wild scramble for a loose rebound with seconds ticking away summed up the chaos, but it was OKC who came away with the ball—snuffing out Minnesota’s last hope and quieting the home crowd. DiVincenzo chipped in timely shots, but it was really the relentless push from Thunder’s entire bench that kept Minnesota at bay, especially when the game felt like it might flip at any moment.
After the final buzzer, you could see the relief on the Thunder’s faces; they knew they’d survived a real test after the embarrassment of Game 3. Now, the scene shifts to Oklahoma City, with the Paycom Center sure to be rocking for Game 5. The Timberwolves need a defensive overhaul and something dramatic from their stars if they want to stop OKC from booking a ticket to the Finals. Right now, it’s the Thunder’s series to lose, and they’re playing with house money.
