It’s challenging to stay present. Be where your feet are, as the cliché goes. Most of us try to focus on that each day, not what may be coming in the near future.
The Minnesota Timberwolves walked into Target Center on Saturday for Game 3 knowing how important a win was. They dropped the first two games of the Western Conference Finals on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder. A loss in Game 3, and the Wolves would have been in a hole that no team in NBA playoff history has overcome.
Still, the Wolves tried not to think about it.
“Because that’s not helpful,” Rudy Gobert said before Game 3.
The Wolves had to remain present to pull off the 143-101 win they did on Saturday, not thinking about what the next week could bring. They had this mindset for all of Game 3 and must maintain it the rest of the way if they hope to flip this series in their favor.
“If you’re on the battlefield, and you are worried about the outcome, you get shot in your head,” Gobert continued before Game 3. “You’ve got to be worried about what’s happening in front of you.”
From the onset, Minnesota’s intentions were obvious — flush the first two games with a performance that looked nothing like them. Target Center was as amped as if the Wolves had a 2-0 lead, and the players fed into the excitement by turning defense into offense.
“Our defense was good. It was on-point,” Chris Finch said postgame regarding the first quarter. “Certainly, we’re able to get out and play faster than we had been playing through the first two games of the series. Get some turnovers and some momentum plays early on to get us going.”
THIS. pic.twitter.com/clM9a95BZY
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 25, 2025
Anthony Edwards had two breakaway dunks in the first quarter, the first of which ignited the crowd that rivaled the loudest moment this season. Edwards found answers in Game 2, scoring 32 points. But Game 3 was different immediately. He tallied a quick 16 points over the first 12 minutes on 6 of 8 from the floor. Ant wasn’t just scoring effectively, but he was also locked in defensively at a level we have yet to see from him this series.
His breakaway dunk ignited the crowd, and Ant’s two-way play ignited a statement first quarter for the Wolves. They outscored the Thunder 34-14 by shooting 13 of 23 (56.5%) from the floor and 6 of 13 (46.2%) from deep and holding OKC to 6 of 21 (28.6%) shooting. With assertive defense, the Wolves also forced Oklahoma City into five turnovers, which Minnesota converted into 11 points.
“We wanted to be the aggressor of everything,” Finch said. “Guys knew what type of a defense we can play. We don’t feel like we’ve been playing it. We’ve felt, for most of the series, we’ve been on our heels defensively. I think that was a mindset switch that we realized.”
The Wolves started hot in Game 1, jumping out to an early 8-0 lead within the first minute. But their momentum didn’t last much longer than that because they were taking bullsh*t, contested shots, and OKC’s offensive gameplan and progressions were more sustainable.
That wasn’t the case for Minnesota on Saturday.
🏹 3VINCENZOOOOOOOO 🏹 pic.twitter.com/60OHpMk9a8
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 25, 2025
“Shots went in today, and they hadn’t gone in Games 1 and 2,” said Finch. “That’s just the nature of it sometimes … We just had to keep finding a better game within ourselves. We hadn’t really played our best basketball. All credit to them at times for effecting that.”
The Wolves shot 38.2% from the floor over the first two games and 28.8% from deep. In Game 3, they shot 57.3% overall and 50% from three-point range.
However, the answer to the improved shot-making is not as simple as Finch made it sound. The Wolves had to fight for the shots they missed in the first two games. They were sloppy and unbalanced attempts, and Minnesota never had control over any sort of offensive rhythm.
In Game 3, Minnesota’s offensive progressions were meaningfully better. The Timberwolves produced noticeably more open looks and always felt in the driver’s seat in the first half, building as much as a 35-point lead. They also hit some bullsh*t shots, but the Wolves had a sustainable offensive game plan for the most part.
Their remarkable 31-point lead at halftime was gut-check time. OKC entered the game with a +28 point differential against Minnesota in the third quarter. If the Thunder were going to make a run back into the game, it would have been in the third.
Sure enough, they jumped on the Wolves with an 11-2 run out of the break, pulling within 22 points with ten minutes left in the frame. Finch called his first recalibration timeout of the night, but his team remained present, knowing what they had to do.
“That was just it, refocus,” said Finch. “We’ve had second-half starts like that before when we’ve played really well in the first half. I just thought we were a little sloppy with our passing and a little loose with our defense. … It’s a combination – guys really refocused and came out [of the timeout], not just got back in the game, but grew the lead beyond what it was at half.”
WHAT JULIUS SAID. pic.twitter.com/mUDMaLF0qM
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 25, 2025
Finch’s squad closed the final nine minutes of the third quarter on a 33-18 run – an incredible display of focus. The Wolves built as much as a 42-point lead in the third. After Mark Daigneault’s club ended the first two games before the fourth quarter, he emptied his bench with two minutes left in the third quarter in Game 3.
Minnesota’s run that prompted Daigneault to waive the white flag so early was a result of Minnesota’s awareness of the importance of each play with their backs against the wall, even if they weren’t thinking about the 0-3 hole staring them down during the game.
After Game 2, Nickeil Alexander-Walker didn’t think the Wolves would deliver a knockout blow in this series. If they were going to win, it would take a late-game TKO. However, Minnesota knocked OKC out midway through the third quarter by delivering the first punch, and never straying away from the importance of each moment.
Edwards finished with 30 points on 12 of 17 (70.6%) from the floor. Julius Randle had 24 points on 9 of 15 (60%) shooting. Naz Reid shot 2 of 3 from deep and had ten points. Terrence Shannon Jr. even stepped up for 15 points. The Wolves shot 57.3% from the floor and 50% from deep. They turned OKC over 15 times and held Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to 4 of 13 shooting.
On paper, Game 3 could be perceived as “one of those nights” for the Thunder. A uncharacteristically bad performance that they are unlikely to repeat. The Wolves aren’t going to smack OKC for 143 points and a historic win again. However, Minnesota’s offensive progression and ability to remain locked into the moment are sustainable for the rest of the series.
The Wolves couldn’t let a potential 0-3 hole paralyze them, but they also couldn’t completely toss it out of their mind. Every play, not possession, is critical for the Wolves. Every defensive rotation, contested shot, pass, shot attempt, and even dribble impacts the outcome of this series. They didn’t seem to realize that over the first two games, but they did in Game 3.
Minnesota shrank Game 3 down by play, staying present in the task at hand. They didn’t let OKC shoot them in the head with a 0-3 hole. To keep their Finals hopes alive, the Wolves must continue to be where their feet are heading into Game 4 on Monday.