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OKC Coach Admits What Went Wrong in Blowout Loss to Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves

The Oklahoma City Thunder didn't look like their usual selves on Saturday night, as Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves took them down in blowout fashion in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals series.

OKC led only at the start of the game after jumping to a 4-0 lead, but it was all Minnesota after that. Edwards led the way for the Timberwolves, scoring 16 of his 30 points in the first quarter to get the team rolling.

The Wolves finished the first half leading by 31 points, and their lead increased by as many as 45 points before closing the game with a 143-101 win.

2024-25 MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had his worst performance of the playoffs so far with 14 points on 4-of-13 shooting. No Thunder scored more than 20 points.

Meanwhile, aside from Edwards, six other Timberwolves players scored in double figures. Julius Randle had 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting.

After the game, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault got painfully honest about the loss. In his opening statement in his presser, he admitted that the Timberwolves "did everything better than us from the jump tonight."

"We can learn from it—obviously not our best punch," he added, according to Michael Martin.

Mark Daigneault also highlighted the Timberwolves' physicality and execution, which he believes made a difference in the game.

"Generally they were just much more physical and sharper, executed better and were more forceful than us," the OKC tactician added, as quoted by to Clemente Almanza.

Oklahoma City won Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference finals series by an average winning margin of 20.5, so the Game 3 loss could very well be just a fluke. However, it's certainly not an encouraging sign for a team looking to win the NBA championship.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander handles the ball during his team's game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on April 4, 2025.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander handles the ball against the Houston Rockets.

Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The Thunder will have a chance to prove that they are still the same dominant team when they return to action on Monday. Sure enough, they won't want the Timberwolves to tie the series and gain more confidence.

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