NBA legend Charles Barkley sent a warning to Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves after their blowout win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals.
The Timberwolves lost the first two games of the series, needing to defend homecourt to keep their season alive. They did just that in Game 3, dominating the Thunder in every way to reduce the series deficit to 2-1.
Barkley talked about the Timberwolves while he was present for Game 3 between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers. It was there when he delivered an important message to the Minnesota squad.
“All the pressure's still on Minnesota,” Barkley said on Sunday. “Tomorrow is a must-win for Minnesota. It's not a must-win for OKC. All Minnesota did was get kind of back in the series. They extended it. So now they have to win tomorrow. … OKC does not have to win in Minnesota,” Barkley said.
“The one thing you have to understand (is that) whether they win by one or 40, it doesn't matter,” he continued. “All the pressure tomorrow is still on the Timberwolves. Because if they don't win tomorrow, they'll be done (in) Game 5.”
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What lies ahead for Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
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Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) reacts against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half in game three of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center.
Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Charles Barkley has a point with his message. Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves have no room for error when they step onto the court for Game 4.
They cannot risk losing Game 4 and going down 3-1 in the series. It is rare for teams to successfully come back from that deficit and force a Game 7, much less win it.
It will also be imperative for Minnesota to continue what worked for them in Game 3, limiting the high-quality chances the Thunder can create on offense. If they can do that, they can return to Oklahoma City with the series even at two games apiece.
The Timberwolves will look to even up the series when they host the Thunder in Game 4. The contest will take place on May 26 at 8:30 p.m. ET.