Anthony Edwards secured 27 points, leading the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 107-101 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday in a clash between two teams tied at the summit of the Western Conference standings.
Describing the game as “elevated” due to its intensity, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault witnessed 24 lead changes and six ties during the matchup.
“I think it was a great game,” commented Edwards. “Great effort by both teams. Great job by both coaches. I feel like we just made more plays down the stretch.”
Contributing to the Timberwolves’ success, Karl-Anthony Towns tallied 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Rudy Gobert added 12 points and 17 rebounds. Edwards displayed efficiency with 10-for-20 shooting.
“Anthony did a really good job with picking his spots, trusting his teammates, playing clean and quick, getting downhill, putting the pressure on them,” praised Minnesota coach Chris Finch.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showcased an impressive performance for the Thunder, scoring 37 points, with Jalen Williams adding 20. Despite this, the Thunder suffered their second consecutive loss after a five-game win streak.
The closely contested season series ended with the teams splitting their four meetings.
“It’s why we play the game,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “You play to play the best teams in the league. You wake up for games like that. You really get to test yourself and see where you are. It was a dogfight tonight.”
Chet Holmgren, one of the NBA’s top rookies from Oklahoma City, struggled with just four points on 2-for-9 shooting in 32 minutes. Towns credited the Timberwolves’ defense for making him take tough shots.
With a slim 97-96 lead for the Thunder and 2:43 remaining, Minnesota seized control. Edwards’ powerful two-handed dunk put the Timberwolves up 101-97, and they maintained a lead of at least four points for the rest of the game.
Despite the absence of point guard Mike Conley due to a sore left hamstring for the second straight game, the Timberwolves secured the win.
“We really did a good job of finishing this game, which we haven’t been doing,” noted Finch. “So hopefully it’s a good step, and we can build on that part of it.”
The Timberwolves, now looking ahead, will host the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night, while the Thunder will host the Denver Nuggets on the same night.
