A franchise that often gives a drubbing to most NBA teams failed to come out all guns blazing against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder have their work cut out to regain a two-game advantage against the Timberwolves, heading to Game 4.
At one point, Anthony Edwards and Co. held a 45-point lead to give them a good old roasting as the Timberwolves defended aggressively on the court. With Mark Daigneault’s men finding it hard to match their physicality, SGA’s mic’d up rant provided the three crucial reasons for the Thunder’s collapse.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Points Out 3 Reasons for OKC’s Collapse in Game 3
As the Thunder bench observed their team being torn apart by the Wolves, cameras caught SGA detailing the three critical reasons for their loss to Aaron Wiggins, who listened keenly. At first, SGA said, “Turnovers early,” as one reason for the thumping defeat.
After the Timberwolves’ hot start, the Thunder made six turnovers in the first quarter alone. Some turnovers displayed the OKC’s lack of concentration, as Luguentz Dort attempted a corner three, but the moment he stepped back to take the shot, he went out of bounds.
They didn’t showcase their team chemistry from the start, as some erratic passes caused their turnover count to increase. Similarly, the Thunder had an eight-second violation after failing to step out from the backcourt in one possession. To sum up, this became a significant concern for the #1 seed from the West.
Secondly, he stated, “They were more physical early,” as the Timberwolves came out motivated to put the game to bed. Trailing 2-0 in the series before Game 3, the Timberwolves played solid defense with a hint of more aggression to claw back. They hustled and hounded the Thunder like a wolf pack, having 17 deflections to their 11, disrupting the team’s rhythm on offense.
“And they made shots, and we missed shots,” said Gilgeous-Alexander as the Timberwolves shot lights out. Comparing the two teams, the Thunder shot at a FG% of 40.7% and had a three-point shooting of 31.8% from beyond the arc. In the meantime, Edwards and Co. shot the ball efficiently, boasting 57.3% from the floor and draining 20-40 three-pointers.
SGA was mic’d up breaking down why the Thunder lost Game 3 👀 pic.twitter.com/3BkjkEPNcQ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 25, 2025
Hence, Gilgeous-Alexander concluded, “And then, on top of this, they had a great night, and we had a bad night. It’s like 40. But if we like, take care of these, we can still lose because of this night. But it doesn’t look like this, you know.”
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Game 4 would be tight as the Timberwolves host the Thunder, looking to level the series. The Wolves look like a different proposition when they play at the Target Center and hope to channel the fans’ energy into the game.
