The Minnesota Timberwolves are now facing the end of their season after a tough Game 4 loss at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The first three games in the series were all decided by 15 points or more, but Game 4 was different. Neither team led by more than 11 points throughout the game. Despite holding the lead for most of the game, the Thunder found themselves in a fierce battle with the Timberwolves.
However, the Thunder showed resiliency all game as every time Minnesota made a run, Oklahoma City always responded. The Timberwolves managed to cut the deficit to two points with 4:34 remaining in the game, but the Thunder quickly countered with a 5-0 run, extending their lead to seven points.
Minnesota only got it back to a one-score game after a three-pointer from Jaden McDaniels brought the score to 123-121 with 23 seconds remaining. In the final moments, both teams resorted to fouling, which sent players to the free-throw line repeatedly. In the end, the Thunder held on to win the game 128-126.
While it was an exciting matchup, much of the criticism is directed at Minnesota's star guard, Anthony Edwards, who finished with 16 points on 5-of-13 shooting from the field. Markieff Morris appeared on "Get Up," where he criticized the performance of the Timberwolves' top player.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) attempts to shoot the ball on Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) in the second half during game four of the Western Conference Finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) attempts to shoot the ball on Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) in the second half during game four of the Western Conference Finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center.
Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
"Coming out the way he came out in the first half of the Western Conference finals game, a must-win game, that's unacceptable," Morris said. "Two shots in the first half. One came with 34 seconds left in the first quarter. The second made basket didn't come until 10 minutes left in the third quarter. That's unacceptable."
Morris noted that to make matters worse, the Thunder's star guard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, came out ultra-aggressive. He finished the game with 40 points, shooting 13-of-30 from the field, along with 10 assists and nine rebounds.
Gilgeous-Alexander set the tone in the first half, scoring 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting. In contrast, Edwards started slowly, taking only two shots and finishing with just four points.
Despite this, the Timberwolves remained competitive, trailing by only eight points heading into the third quarter. Edwards improved in the second half, scoring 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting. However, it was the bench that truly made an impact, contributing 64 points, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Donte DiVincenzo each scoring over 20 points.
After losing a hard-fought game, the Timberwolves now face a do-or-die Game 5 at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, trailing 3-1 in the series.