Wolves win Game 3 v Thunder to trail 2-1 | 00:57
**Andrew Jackson from Fox Sports**
May 27th, 2025 1:54 pm
The Oklahoma City Thunder are just one win away from their first NBA Finals trip since 2012 after outlasting the Minnesota Timberwolves 128-126 on Tuesday to take a 3-1 series lead.
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The Thunder looked to be in complete control of the series early on, comfortably taking both games in Oklahoma City, before being obliterated on the road in a 143-101 beatdown.
Any chance of that loss casting doubt over the Western Conference top seed’s title aspirations were quickly extinguished on Tuesday though as a career-best playoff 40-point performance from MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander saw the Thunder home.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s supporting cast came up big too, with Jalen Williams (34 points) and Chet Holmgren (21 points) both stepping up when Oklahoma City needed them the most.
The major question mark hanging over Oklahoma City’s championship credentials entering the postseason was whether Williams and Holmgren would be the consistent co-stars Gilgeous-Alexander needed, especially given the Thunder at times relied on their depth and bench pieces to get past the top-heavy Nuggets in the semifinals.
But Williams in particular has proven he is the current and future second option in Oklahoma City with an outstanding two-way effort, fittingly capped off by coming down with the ball on a miracle Minnesota heave to end the game.
On the other side of the floor, the Timberwolves were powered by their bench as Gilgeous-Alexander’s cousin Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the way with 23 points while Donte DiVincenzo made a pair of crucial 3-pointers late as he put up 21.
All up, Minnesota’s bench scored 64 points to just 27 from Oklahoma City and the Timberwolves needed every single one of the buckets considering Julius Randle was ineffective.
Randle rebounded from a poor, six-point Game 2 with 24 points in the 42-point demolition job of Oklahoma City but struggled again on Tuesday, making just one field goal and finishing with five points, seven rebounds, three assists and five turnovers.
Anthony Edwards also had a tough shooting night, going 5-for-13 from the field and making just one of seven 3-point attempts, but he was able to create open looks for his teammates when driving to the rim and, in contrast to Randle, obviously had the tougher defensive assignment.
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Beyond those individual performances, the Timberwolves committed 23 turnovers which was always going to make it hard to compete with a Thunder team that hardly needs an invitation to make teams pay in transition.
But still, somehow, Minnesota was able to keep it to just a two-point game in the end.
A missed free throw down the stretch from Gilgeous-Alexander left the door open for the Timberwolves, who trailed 126-123 with 8.4 seconds left.
But the Thunder smartly fouled Minnesota straight away and in what became a back-and-forth foul game late in the piece, it was Oklahoma City who came out on top.
The Thunder will now play to book their spot in the NBA Finals on Thursday morning at 10.30am AEST when the series returns to Oklahoma City.