In a stunning reversal of expectations at the Paycom Center on May 20, the Minnesota Timberwolves arrived in Oklahoma City brimming with confidence, only to witness a relentless Thunder onslaught that left the arena erupting in cheers for the home side and jeers for one of their own.
At the center of this maelstrom stood Naz Reid, whose 28-minute performance, marred by a ghastly 1-of-11 shooting night and seven missed 3-pointers, became the focal point of frustration for Wolves supporters everywhere.
What began as a promising Western Conference finals opener dissolved into a spectacle of missed opportunities and statistic-sheet emptiness. By the time the final horn sounded on May 20, the Thunder’s 114–88 victory had not only handed Oklahoma City a 1–0 series lead but left Wolves fans seething at a sub-par shooting display.
Naz Reid’s Sub-Par Stats and Wolves’ Game 1 Defeat Sparks Fans’ Fury
Minnesota actually led 48–44 at halftime, with Julius Randle drilling five first-half triples and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) laboring through just 11 points on 2-of-13 shooting.
But the third quarter flipped the script entirely—Oklahoma City erupted for a 32–18 frame, outscoring the Wolves by 14 and turning a four-point deficit into an 11-point advantage that Minnesota never recovered.
SGA powered the comeback with 20 of his game-high 31 points after intermission, finishing 10-of-27 from the field with nine assists, while Jalen Williams added 19 and Chet Holmgren chipped in 15 in the rout.
Amid the Thunder’s balanced assault, Reid’s box score stood out for all the wrong reasons. In 28 minutes of action, he went 1-for-11 from the floor, including 0-for-7 from beyond the arc, coughed up three turnovers, and managed just four points and eight rebounds.
Reid wasn’t the only bench option rendered inert—Donte DiVincenzo and Nickeil Alexander-Walker combined with him for a woeful 7-for-36 shooting night from the field and 5-for-28 on threes—but it was Reid’s individual freeze-out that drew the harshest criticism.
Postgame, frustration found its way into his own words. FOX 9 quoted him as saying, “It’s a rough night. I don’t remember the last time I’ve shot like that. I couldn’t buy a bucket.”
Social media lit up immediately after the defeat, with X/Twitter fans lamenting. One fan wrote, “Disgraceful.”
Disgraceful
— ScoobyDunk (@ScoobyDunk) May 21, 2025
Another wrote, “Shooting like the ball’s allergic to the net,” adding a layer of indignation to the Wolves’ overall malaise.
One user went so far as to call it “Lebron would have had 40 pts. in this game and lost, best single-handed playoff performance of our generation guys,” capturing the resentment of a fanbase desperate for a spark from its key role player.
Behind the scenes, coach Chris Finch sought to tamp down the frenzy, acknowledging that Minnesota “didn’t have a lot of patience.”
“We didn’t have a lot of patience in the second half. It affected our defense, honestly. When we did get good looks, they didn’t go down. Our offense affected our defense, and that can’t happen,” Finch said.
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Looking ahead to Game 2 on May 22, Finch has little room for maneuver. Minnesota’s margin for error has narrowed considerably. The Thunder will carry momentum into Game 2, knowing that a 2–0 lead could be virtually insurmountable in a best-of-seven.
