MINNEAPOLIS \u2014\u00a0Anthony Edwards<\/a> sliced via Lu Dort<\/a> and Isaiah Hartenstein<\/a> to beat a back-pedaling Jalen Williams<\/a> to the unfastened ball. Edwards scooped it up as Williams skidded into the Thunder\u2019s bench. Williams was nonetheless on his bottom as Edwards soared for a slam.\u00a0
And that\u2019s how Saturday went. The usually on-a-string, fight-through-screens, pesky, handsy, relentlessly-annoying, all-hustle, never-die Thunder bought beat at its personal sport.\u00a0
Smacked by the Timberwolves 143-101 in a must-win<\/a> for Minnesota.\u00a0
\u201cThey only got here out with a way of urgency and we didn\u2019t,\u201d Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a> mentioned.\u00a0
The apparent follow-up \u2014\u00a0and perhaps an unanswerable one \u2014\u00a0is, \u201cWhy?\u201d\u00a0
\u201cI\u2019m unsure,\u201d SGA mentioned. \u201cThe identical factor form of occurred within the Memphis sequence, we got here out in Memphis and so they blitzed us.\u201d\u00a0
The Thunder trailed the Grizzlies by 29 factors in Sport 3 of that first-round sequence. Then Ja Morant bought harm and the Thunder stormed again and gained.\u00a0
\u201cI assume each conditions we had been up 2-0 going into Sport 3 \u2026 We don\u2019t attempt to exit like that, I promise you, however no matter is, we gotta determine it out if we wish to attain our final purpose,\u201d SGA mentioned. \u201cThat\u2019s what the times in between are for, to get higher.\u201d\u00a0
There have been early indicators \u2014\u00a0Gilgeous-Alexander getting referred to as for an eight-second violation (even when it was a fast depend) with no Timberwolf pressuring him within the backcourt \u2014\u00a0that Saturday evening was going to be a uncommon Thunder no-show.\u00a0
OKC trailed by as many as 45 factors. The largest deficit it confronted this season earlier than Saturday \u2014\u00a0common season or playoffs \u2014\u00a0was 30. The Thunder misplaced by 42 factors. Its worst loss earlier than Saturday was 27 factors.\u00a0
\u201cThey went and bought the sport tonight,\u201d Thunder coach Mark Daigneault mentioned of the Wolves. \u201cThey had been means higher than us in each side. You possibly can\u2019t isolate it to 1 factor.\u201d\u00a0
Edwards, who scored a game-high 30 factors, outscored the Thunder 16-14 within the first quarter. Minnesota\u2019s lead ballooned to twenty factors after 12 minutes. The Wolves scored 34 factors within the first quarter, and that was their lowest<\/em> scoring quarter of the sport.\u00a0
\u201cWe had been taking the ball out of the web for almost all of the sport, so that they bought again and set their protection,\u201d SGA mentioned. \u201cI don\u2019t care who you might be within the NBA, in opposition to an excellent protection it\u2019s exhausting to attain once they\u2019re set.\u201d\u00a0
The Wolves shot 57% from the ground. They had been 20-of-40 from 3-point vary.\u00a0
The Thunder shot 41% and had been 14-of-44 (32%) from deep \u2014\u00a0a continuation of their chilly streak on the highway.\u00a0
Daigneault pulled the plug for good with two minutes left within the third quarter. The fourth quarter devolved into the Dillon Jones vs. Luka Garza Bowl.\u00a0
The one solace after 143 to 101 is 2 to 1.\u00a0
The Thunder nonetheless leads these Western Convention finals wherein not one of the three video games have been shut. A 15-point win in Sport 2 is the closest anybody has come to biting their nails.\u00a0
As cliche because the Thunder\u2019s zero-zero mantra has develop into, it\u2019s as relevant as ever now.\u00a0
\u201cIt\u2019s been who we’re,\u201d Daigneault mentioned. \u201cWe all know the ebbs and flows of a playoff sequence. We\u2019ve been on the opposite finish of video games like this and so they haven\u2019t been predictive of the subsequent sport.\u00a0
\u201cWe do have to take a look at it and deal with the issues that went awry for us tonight, however on the similar time it\u2019ll be a brand new sport, it\u2019ll be zero and 0 when Sport 4 begins.\u201d
Joe Mussatto is a sports activities columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a narrative thought for Joe? E mail him at\u00a0jmussatto@oklahoman.com<\/a><\/u>. Help Joe’s work and that of different Oklahoman journalists by buying a\u00a0digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com<\/a><\/u>.<\/em><\/p>\n