In one of the most dominant playoff performances in recent memory, Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves absolutely demolished the Oklahoma City Thunder 143-101 in Game 3, breathing life back into their Western Conference finals hopes with a display of basketball brilliance that left the Thunder stunned and the Target Center rocking.
Sometimes in sport, you witness pure magic. The kind of performance that makes you jump off your sofa, call your mates, and remember exactly where you were when greatness unfolded before your eyes. Saturday night in Minneapolis was one of those nights.
The Revenge Game Nobody Saw Coming
After getting thoroughly embarrassed in Oklahoma City – losing two games by a combined 44 points – the Timberwolves returned home with their championship dreams hanging by a thread. The Thunder looked unstoppable. Their defence was suffocating. Their young MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was playing like a man possessed.
But Minnesota had other plans. Big, beautiful, spectacular plans.
From the moment the ball was tipped, this wasn’t just a basketball game – it was a statement. A declaration. A masterclass in how quickly momentum can shift in the playoffs when a team refuses to roll over and die.
Edwards Becomes Absolutely Unstoppable
Anthony Edwards didn’t just play basketball on Saturday night – he performed basketball surgery. With the precision of a master craftsman and the flair of a street performer, “Ant-Man” carved up the Thunder’s vaunted defence like it was made of tissue paper.
Thirty points. Nine rebounds. Six assists. And here’s the kicker – he did it all in just three quarters because the game was so out of hand by then.
“Just ultimate pressure on the ball, and shoot it as much as I can,” Edwards said with the casual confidence of a man who’d just witnessed his own basketball clinic.
The 22-year-old superstar rediscovered his three-point shooting touch at the perfect moment, nailing 5 of 8 attempts after a woeful 1-for-9 performance in Game 2. But it wasn’t just the shooting – Edwards turned into a one-man wrecking crew, harassing Thunder players into turnovers and converting them into thunderous breakaway dunks that had the Target Center crowd losing their minds.
The MVP Gets Humbled
On the other side of this basketball beatdown sat Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the newly crowned NBA MVP, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else on Earth.
The man who had been virtually unstoppable through the first two games managed just 14 points on an ugly 4-for-13 shooting display. Four turnovers. And the ultimate indignity – getting pulled from the game with over four minutes left in the third quarter because the deficit had ballooned to 38 points.
The Target Center crowd was absolutely ruthless, booing Gilgeous-Alexander every time he touched the ball and serenading him with chants of “Free throw merchant!” – a delightful reference to his reputation for drawing fouls.
“It felt like we just eased into the game, and they didn’t,” a clearly frustrated Gilgeous-Alexander admitted afterwards. “They blitzed us pretty early, and then we were never able to get back because of it.”
The Supporting Cast Steps Up Massive
Whilst Edwards grabbed the headlines, this was a complete team demolition job. Julius Randle, who’d been benched in the fourth quarter of Game 2 after a nightmare performance, came back with vengeance in his heart and his signature fadeaway jumper working to perfection. Twenty-four points of pure redemption.
But perhaps the most surprising hero was rookie Terrence Shannon Jr, who contributed 15 points in just 13 minutes off the bench. When your rookies are coming in and lighting up the conference finals, you know it’s going to be a special night.
“Their force on that end of the floor was better than our physicality and pressure, things that we typically do well,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault conceded, sounding like a man trying to process what had just happened to his previously impenetrable team.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
The statistics from this game read like something from a video game played on rookie difficulty. The Thunder, who had shot exactly 50% from the field over the first two games, managed just 12 makes on 40 attempts in the first half alone. That’s 30% shooting for those keeping score at home.
The Wolves outscored Oklahoma City by 42 points. Let that sink in for a moment. In a conference finals game. Against the team with the league’s best defence during the regular season.
After being outscored 69-37 in third quarters during the first two games, Minnesota made sure there would be no post-halftime collapse this time. They came out of the break like men possessed, with Edwards leading the charge with spectacular plays that had Thunder defenders wondering if they were watching the same player from Games 1 and 2.
The Defining Moment
The play that perfectly encapsulated this performance came in the third quarter. Edwards, tightly guarded by Isaiah Joe in the corner, somehow found just enough space to drive along the baseline. What followed was pure basketball artistry – a spinning, up-and-under reverse layup that kissed off the glass and dropped through the net for a 79-52 lead.
The Target Center erupted. Edwards flexed. The Thunder called timeout. But by then, everyone in the building knew this wasn’t just a basketball game anymore – it was a statement about championship heart and playoff resilience.
“That’s what we need him to do, and when he does it, it takes us to another level,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said, probably still trying to process what he’d just witnessed from his young superstar.
What This Means Going Forward
The series now stands at 2-1 in favour of Oklahoma City, but the psychological impact of this demolition job cannot be overstated. The Thunder learned they’re not invincible. The Wolves learned they can compete with anyone when they play their best basketball.
Game 4 in Minneapolis on Monday night suddenly becomes absolutely crucial. Can the Thunder bounce back from this humiliation? Can Edwards and the Wolves ride this momentum to level the series?
One thing’s for certain – after Saturday night’s display of basketball excellence, nobody will be counting out the Minnesota Timberwolves again. When Anthony Edwards plays like that, anything is possible.
Sometimes sport serves up nights that remind you why you fell in love with the game in the first place. Saturday in Minneapolis was one of those nights. Pure, unadulterated basketball magic that had fans on their feet, players in disbelief, and social media going absolutely mental.
The Western Conference finals just got a whole lot more interesting.
