The Minnesota Timberwolves blew out the Oklahoma City Thunder 143-101 in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals at Target Center on Saturday. Anthony Edwards was the star of the show for the Timberwolves, but he opted to shower praise on rookie Terrence Shannon Jr. in his postgame interview.
"TJ came in and brought ultimate energy, man, and we can't ask for nothing more," Edwards said. "He came in and made all the right plays, attacked the basket with aggression. And he came up big for us tonight."
Shannon, the 27th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, came into the game at the start of the second quarter and scored the first five points of the period. The 24-year-old would rack up nine points in just over four minutes and ensured the Thunder didn't have a way back into this game.
Shannon would finish Game 3 with 15 points (5-8 FG), two rebounds, one assist, and one steal. He scored more points than anyone on the Thunder, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who only had 14 points.
Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch stated postgame that Shannon will be a part of the rotation moving forward. He hadn't played more than seven minutes in a playoff game coming into Game 3, and it will be interesting to see how much of an impact he makes in these upcoming games.
Shannon played his part in the Timberwolves flipping the script here after being outclassed in the first two games by the Thunder. This was a terrific response, and Edwards was happy with his team's approach in this one.
"I wouldn't say proud," Edwards stated. "I was super happy about the physicality that we brought and the energy that we brought. Because being down 2-0, it's all about bringing energy, and we brought high energy."
Edwards was the one who set the tone for the Timberwolves, with 16 points in the first quarter. The 23-year-old outscored the Thunder by himself, as the visitors could only manage 14 points in the period.
Edwards ended the night with 30 points (12-17 FG), nine rebounds, six assists, and two steals. It was a masterful performance, and the Thunder had no answer for him. Edwards' co-star Julius Randle impressed in Game 3, too, after getting benched in the fourth quarter in Game 2.
"He's a vet," Edwards said. "A vet knows what to do. He knows how to respond. He knows not to take nothing too personal, and that's what he did. He came in with the right energy at shootaround this morning, and I can see it in his eyes. He wanted his respect back, and he got it."
Randle had 24 points (9-15 FG), four rebounds, and three assists against the Thunder. This was the kind of performance you wanted to see from him after getting benched down the stretch last time out.
Thanks to this big win, the Timberwolves are still alive in this series. They have cut the deficit to 2-1 and will look to tie things up in Game 4 at Target Center on Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
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