Anthony Edwards wasn’t playing Madden in his hotel room, as he typically likes to do in his free time. He wasn’t dropping 50-yard dimes with J.J. McCarthy after the Minnesota Timberwolves dropped Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals 114-88.
He was up until 3 AM, watching film on the loss from the team hotel with Wolves assistant coach Chris Hines. The two studied everything the Oklahoma City Thunder did to limit Edwards to 18 points on 5 of 13 from the floor over 37 minutes.
Ant is usually flamboyant and full of joy, but was probably quiet in the wee hours of the morning, sitting in a sulk of frustration and determination. More than anything, once Edwards finally fell asleep, he was ready to lead his team to a series-tying win in Game 2.
Edwards’ late-night film session proved valuable; he finished with 32 points in Game 2. Still, Ant was overcome with defeat again, shaking his head as he walked off the Paycom Center court.
He found answers in Game 2, but the Wolves fell 118-103 and will be on a quest for answers collectively as they look to keep their finals hopes alive with the series shifting to Minneapolis.
“We saw the aggressiveness from the beginning,” Chris Finch said postgame regarding Edwards’ play in Game 2. “I thought he did a good job finding his teammates and being aggressive. Getting downhill, playing quicker. … Being smart in a crowd.”
ladies & gentlemen…
Anthony Edwards. pic.twitter.com/PnI14LUxat
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 23, 2025
There were stretches in Game 1 – particularly in the second half – where it was easy to forget Edwards was on the court. He wasn’t scoring, and his teammates weren’t hitting the looks that Ant created for them. The bottom line was that Edwards was not engaged enough in the offense, and as a result, the Wolves lacked direction during prolonged stretches.
Edwards made it known early in Game 2 that it wouldn’t happen again.
He had eight points in the first quarter on 4 of 8 from two-point range and 2 of 4 at the rim, already eclipsing his staggering one field goal attempt at the rim in Game 1. Edwards punished an arsenal of outstanding perimeter defenders after being unable to do so two days before. He also remained patient and read the defense well, recording three assists.
Meanwhile, the Thunder shot 11 of 22 (50%) from the floor in the first quarter, with ten of their makes coming inside the three-point line. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – fresh off his MVP ceremony pregame – led OKC’s early charge with eight points on 3 of 3 from 2-point range. Jalen Williams also recorded six points on 3 of 4 from inside.
That tandem penetrated Minnesota’s point-of-attack defense and drilled tough shot after tough shot while Ant did his best to land equalizers on the other end.
That trend held up for the entire night.
Usually, Finch’s defense prefers to force its opponents into mid-range shots. However, that is where OKC thrives. They shot 36 of 57 (63.2%) from 2-point range in Game 2.
“We’ve contested a bunch of them,” Finch said regarding the Thunder’s mid-range scoring. “I think we’ve got to stay more connected in that part of the floor.”
It has been challenging for the Wolves to stay connected defensively from everywhere on the floor. OKC is averaging 116 points this series and a 120.8 offensive rating while shooting 50% from the floor, 55.9% from two-point range, and 37% from three. Mostly, they’ve buzzed through a Minnesota defense that wore its opponents down until now.
It’s evident to Nickeil Alexander-Walker that it will not be the case this series.
“Throughout this postseason, and throughout this season, we’ve been able to wear teams down to where we put them away at times,” Alexander-Walker said. “This is a team, and you can see by their record, where you’re not going to put them away. You’ve kind of got to play four rounds at a time. If it’s a knockout, it’s going to be a TKO. I think that’s the main difference.”
At halftime, Edwards wasn’t jawing with OKC’s bench, which we’ve seen from him before during this playoff run. His statline – 16 points, seven rebounds, and three assists – didn’t indicate that a knockout blow from him was coming. However, he was a relentless, steadying presence who held serve all night. The Wolves needed that as they navigated a poor night from Julius Randle, who finished with 6 points on 2 of 11 shooting.
More than anything, the Wolves, who trailed by eight at halftime, needed a strong third quarter after a forecasted storm from OKC drowned them in Game 1.
Instead, the Wolves allowed another downpour to hit them.
“When everyone goes back [at halftime],” Alexander-Walker said after the game. “I am sure every team watching film, they say, ‘This is what we’re doing well, this is what we need to touch up on.’ I think they have that sense of urgency to make those changes. They’re playing 12 minutes at a time. They are playing all four quarters.”
IT'S STORMING IN OKLAHOMA CITY ⛈️⛈️
Cason Wallace 3.
Shai steal.
Wallace to Chet alley-oop.
INCREDIBLE SEQUENCE IN GAME 2 OF THE WCF ON ESPN!! pic.twitter.com/kr3mkGGtwX
— NBA (@NBA) May 23, 2025
OKC closed the final six minutes of the third on a 25-8 run, taking a 22-point lead into the fourth, and outscoring Minnesota 35-21 in the frame. So far in the series, OKC has a +55.2 net rating in the third. They have outscored the Wolves by 28 points total in both third quarters.
The Thunder have ended both games before the fourth quarter, removing the possibility of clutch time, which is where Minnesota has excelled in the playoffs. OKC’s runs of maturity and resilience have prevented the Wolves from duking it out with them in the late stages.
“Because they are so disciplined in the small details, we have to match that,” said Alexander-Walker.
“I think in the fourth quarter, we matched that. We flew around. The rotations were there. We forced some shot clock violations. They missed the mid-range shots they were making in that first half. I think that just boils down to matching that intensity and bringing another level like they do in the third quarter.”
Minnesota outscored OKC 32-25 in the fourth quarter, pulling within ten points with three minutes left. The effort was too little, too late, but the Wolves can take something from it ahead of Game 3 on Saturday.
“The main thing out of all of this, and the big takeaway, was that fourth quarter,” Alexander-Walker said. “We made shots, yes. But I think because we played with pace, that’s the reason why.”
The Wolves converted offensively in the fourth by playing fast. They survived defensively by blitzing the ball out of Gilgeous-Alexander’s hands. The challenge is translating that over 48 minutes, not allowing another one of OKC’s runs to bury a game before the fourth.
Edwards finished Game 2 with 32 points on 11 of 17 (64.7%) from 2-point range. He found answers. Still, the Wolves let another third quarter slip away while Gilgeous-Alexander, J-Dub, and Chet Holmgren combined for 86 points on 63.6% from two-point range.
The series is shifting to Minneapolis. With their season hanging in the balance, the Wolves will look for answers they couldn’t find in Oklahoma City.