Anthony Edwards scored 30 factors and the Minnesota Timberwolves overwhelmed Oklahoma Metropolis 143-101 on Saturday to tighten their NBA playoff sequence.
Edwards added 9 rebounds and 6 assists whereas capturing 12-of-17 from the ground and 5-of-8 from three-point vary because the host T-Wolves pulled a sport again to be 2-1 behind within the best-of-seven Western Convention finals.
“I used to be tremendous comfortable concerning the physicality and vitality we introduced,” Edwards stated. “Being down 2-0, it’s all about bringing vitality and we introduced excessive vitality.”
Julius Randle added 24 factors for Minnesota, which set a membership file for factors in a playoff sport in ripping the NBA regular-season win leaders and NBA Most Worthwhile Participant Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who managed solely 14 factors.
“We bought punched within the mouth,” stated Gilgeous-Alexander. “You get punched, it’s about getting again up. It’s about responding. That’s what the subsequent problem is.”
The Thunder, who gained the primary two video games at house, face sport 4 on Monday at Minneapolis and sport 5 on Wednesday at Oklahoma Metropolis.
“I do know everyone seems to be comfortable about this one however we all know OKC goes to return out and produce hella-energy and they’ll be able to go and going to attempt to win sport 4 and we’ve bought to try to exceed their vitality and get a win,” Edwards stated.
“We’ll be prepared.”
Minnesota’s victory was essential as a result of no workforce has ever recovered from a 3-0 deficit to win an NBA playoff sequence.
“We simply didn’t carry it from an vitality and focus standpoint,” stated Gilgeous-Alexander. “We simply didn’t have it. They’d the sense of urgency understanding in the event that they go down 3-0 it’s going to be fairly powerful.
“They blitzed us fairly early and we have been by no means in a position to get again. We’ve bought to begin popping out with a way of urgency.”
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The T-Wolves set a membership file for factors in a playoff sport and led by as a lot as 129-84 late within the fourth quarter.
“We do have to take a look at it and handle the issues that went awry for us,” stated Thunder coach Mark Daigneault. “They actually took it to us.
“They have been simply way more bodily, a lot sharper, executed higher, extra forceful on offense. For the rating to be what it was, they wanted to outplay us in quite a lot of areas and that’s what they did.”
Randle was benched late in sport two and sad about it however responded by taking out his frustrations on the Thunder.
“He is aware of to not take nothing too private,” Edwards stated of Randle. “I might see it in his eyes. He needed his respect again and he bought it.”
Vitality and power
Minnesota seized a 72-41 half-time lead, with Edwards capturing 8-of-11 from the ground and producing 20 factors and eight rebounds within the first half.
“We simply weren’t in a position to bottle him up the best way we had the primary couple of video games,” Daigneault stated. “Credit score him for the vitality and power that he performed with. He was actually on it early.”
The T-Wolves led by as a lot as 68-33 within the first half and set a membership file for playoff factors in a half with 72. They scored 13 factors off 10 pressured turnovers within the first half whereas the Thunder shot 12-of-40.
“The largest factor is that they got here out and performed with extra power than we did,” Oklahoma Metropolis’s Chet Holmgren stated. “Wherever they needed to go, they bought there. They didn’t allow us to cease them.”
Edwards scored 16 factors within the first quarter, outproducing the Thunder because the T-Wolves seized their greatest lead of the sequence to that time at 34-14.
“Our depth, from the primary minute of the sport, we set a tone,” Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert stated.
“Everybody got here out with the mindset to be bodily. We did an excellent job staying with it constantly by the entire sport.”
Within the second half, Oklahoma Metropolis started with an 11-2 run however the T-Wolves answered with a 10-0 spurt and went on to seize a 103-61 lead because the Thunder despatched their starters to the bench late within the third quarter.