Mark Daigneault gives Timberwolves their flowers amid stunning meltdown
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Even after holding a 25-point lead, Mark Daigneault and the Oklahoma City Thunder fell 131-128 in overtime to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Despite the loss, Daigneault gave props to the Timberwolves stating, “They kept playing and ran all the way through the game, and that was a great comeback by them. So they deserve to win. As far as us, I thought defensively in the second half we just weren’t as sharp as we were early in the third quarter."
Desperate to salvage the game, a fatigued Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drove to the rim, only for Anthony Edwards to deny him with a perfectly timed block on the potential game-winner. It was the most crushing of several missed opportunities for the Oklahoma City Thunder in a disastrous final 17 minutes.
Without Chet Holmgren, the Oklahoma City Thunder reverted to their most frequently used starting lineup, with Cason Wallace stepping in. That unit has been among the league's most dominant, and it showed early as the Thunder jumped out to a 32-28 lead after the opening quarter.
The Thunder coming up short against the Timberwolves
The Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the second quarter, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander making his presence felt with 20 first-half points. A commanding 32-17 run extended their lead to 64-45 at halftime. Everything was clicking for OKC, showing no signs of fatigue.
By the break, Mark Daigneault and the Oklahoma City Thunder looked well on their way to securing a back-to-back sweep. They kept their offensive rhythm in the third quarter, adding 38 points. However, their defense started to slip, especially after Isaiah Hartenstein left early with a facial contusion. The Minnesota Timberwolves took advantage, putting up 35 points in the quarter.
Up to that point, it was merely an exchange of baskets. The Oklahoma City Thunder entered the fourth quarter with a commanding 102-80 lead, seemingly on track for an easy victory. But then, the unthinkable happened—a meltdown of historic proportions.
The Timberwolves methodically chipped away at the deficit. By the end of the fourth quarter, they had erased OKC's lead completely. The Timberwolves leaned on its bench, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Rob Dillingham spearheading the comeback.
In overtime, with 22 seconds remaining, Naz Reid sank two free throws to give the Timberwolves a 129-128 edge. Out of a timeout, the Thunder turned to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for a potential game-winner, but Anthony Edwards swooped in from the help side to deny his shot.
Shannon Jr. hauled in the rebound, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker—Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s cousin—iced the game with two crucial free throws. In the final seconds, Edwards locked in on Gilgeous-Alexander once more, contesting his last-second three-point attempt, which missed the mark, securing Minnesota's stunning comeback win.
Looking to bounce back against the Nets
Despite a combined 66 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, the Oklahoma City Thunder saw their six-game home winning streak end at Paycom Center. While their top spot in the Western Conference remains secure, they'll aim to stay sharp over the final 25 games of an impressive season.
Having avoided consecutive losses since November, Mark Daigneault and the Thunder will look to bounce back against a struggling Brooklyn Nets team that has dropped five of its last six meetings with them.
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