Finch praises the Timberwolves professional performance.
The Minnesota Timberwolves needed a statement victory after their season-long five-game losing streak, and they got exactly that on Thursday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
With a dominant 123-111 win at home, the Wolves showed they can compete with the best in the West, and head coach Chris Finch praised how his team responded to the recent adversity.
"Guys responded in a very professional way... business-like way," Finch said following the game.
Timberwolves Hit Their Groove From Deep
Minnesota came out firing from the start, and the Thunder had no answer for their long-range shooting.
The Timberwolves matched a season high with 22 three-pointers, shooting an impressive 46.8 percent from beyond the arc.
It was only the second time this season that Oklahoma City has allowed that many threes in a game.
Anthony Edwards led the way with 26 points, including 12 in the first quarter when Minnesota established control and built a 14-point lead after one.
Jaden McDaniels was perfect from deep, scoring 21 points on 5-of-5 shooting from three-point range, while Naz Reid came off the bench and added 18 points with four made threes of his own.
The win improved Minnesota's record to 30-19, good for fifth in the Western Conference.
Oklahoma City, meanwhile, dropped to 38-11 and has now lost three of its last four games, which is a significant slide for a team that looked like it was running away with the top seed earlier in the year.
Minnesota's Response After Rough Stretch
Finch's message about professionalism carried extra weight given what the Timberwolves had just gone through.
Their five-game skid included some frustrating losses, and Finch had been critical of his team's effort and intensity during that stretch.
He specifically called out their defense, saying the team was "too soft" heading into Thursday's matchup.
Against the Thunder, Minnesota looked like a completely different squad.
They outrebounded Oklahoma City 46-36 despite the return of Isaiah Hartenstein for the Thunder after a 16-game absence with a calf injury.
The Timberwolves also turned 16 Thunder turnovers into 30 points, which was the kind of aggressive play Finch had been demanding.
Even without veteran point guard Mike Conley, Minnesota's depth showed up with Bones Hyland contributing nine points in extended playing time.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still managed a game-high 30 points for Oklahoma City, but five turnovers from the reigning MVP limited his overall impact and the Wolves never let the Thunder get back into the game.
Looking Ahead to the Trade Deadline
With the February 5th trade deadline approaching, the Timberwolves are expected to be active in looking for ways to improve their roster.
Minnesota has been linked to names like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Tyus Jones as they search for more depth, particularly at the point guard position.
President of basketball operations Tim Connelly has shown he isn't afraid to swing big, having already made two major trades during his time with the organization.
Minnesota reached the Western Conference Finals in each of the past two seasons and is looking to take the next step toward their first championship in franchise history.
Wins like Thursday's are proof that when this team is locked in and playing with the professionalism Finch is asking for, they can hang with anyone in the league.
The Timberwolves head to Memphis on Saturday to continue their push up the Western Conference standings.