Fueled by playoff revenge, Anthony Edwards leads Timberwolves' dominant win. Defense sparks a decisive victory over the Thunder.
Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves sent a message on Thursday night by handing the Oklahoma City Thunder a decisive 123-111 loss at Target Center.
After the game, Edwards made it clear that this matchup carries extra weight for him.
When asked about facing Oklahoma City, the Timberwolves star didn't hold back on what the game meant to him.
"It's super personal for me because they put us out last year and they got the reigning MVP," Edwards said. "It's super personal. I think a win like this shows that if we bring defensive intensity every night, we're gonna be alright."
Playoff Revenge on Edwards' Mind
The Thunder eliminated Minnesota in the Western Conference Finals last spring, winning the series four games to one on their way to an NBA championship.
That loss has stuck with Edwards throughout the season, and facing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champs brings out an extra level of intensity from the 24-year-old guard.
Edwards backed up his words with his play, scoring 26 points while shooting four of 10 from beyond the arc.
More importantly, he set the tone early by knocking down his first two three-point attempts and helping Minnesota jump out to a 14-point lead after the opening quarter.
The Timberwolves never looked back, as the Thunder failed to hold a lead at any point during the game.
Defense Fuels Big Win
Minnesota's defensive performance was the story of the night, as the team turned 16 Oklahoma City turnovers into 30 points while also dominating on the glass with 15 offensive rebounds.
The Timberwolves shot a scorching 46.8 percent from three-point range, connecting on 22 of 47 attempts to match their season high for made threes in a single game.
Jaden McDaniels provided a boost by going five for five from deep on his way to 21 points, while Naz Reid added 18 off the bench with four made three-pointers of his own.
Six Timberwolves players finished in double figures as the team showed the depth that Edwards believes can carry them deep into the postseason.
Even Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 30 points couldn't save Oklahoma City on a night when everything went Minnesota's way.
The reigning MVP shot 12 of 18 from the field but was unable to spark a comeback as the Thunder struggled to contain the Timberwolves' balanced attack.
Isaiah Hartenstein returned from a 16-game absence due to a calf injury, scoring 11 points in 18 minutes off the bench, but Oklahoma City was outrebounded 46-36 despite getting their starting center back.
Where Things Stand
With the victory, Minnesota improves to 30-19 on the season and has now won three straight games after snapping a season-long five-game losing streak.
The Thunder fall to 35-8 but remain atop the Western Conference standings as the defending champions work through a rough stretch that has seen them lose three of their last four contests.
For Edwards, this was more than just a regular-season win.
The Timberwolves want to prove they belong among the league's elite, and taking down Oklahoma City in such convincing fashion shows they have the firepower and defensive toughness to compete down the line.
If Minnesota can sustain this level of intensity throughout the season, they might just get another crack at the Thunder when the stakes are even higher.