Thunder's 'out of sorts' defensive effort resulted in largest loss of season
02/14/2025 04:23 PM
With a 116-101 win, the Minnesota Timberwolves snapped head coach Mark Daigneault and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s seven-game win streak. After the Thunder’s incredible 24-0 fourth-quarter run kept their streak alive in a 115-101 victory against the Miami Heat, they succumbed to 14 points in the final frame against the Timberwolves.
After the loss, Daigneault addressed the Thunder’s defensive lapses that kept them behind throughout the night.
“We were just a little loose on our coverages. And then, we were all out of sorts defensively for much of the night,” Daigneault said. “Good learning opportunity. I give them a lot of credit. I thought the guys off the bench came in, their young guys came in and gave them great pop and great energy. They were just a step ahead of us all night.”
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault watched Timberwolves center Naz Reid record a game-high 27 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists. All-Star Anthony Edwards added 23 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, and Jaden McDaniels finished with 21 points, six rebounds, and five assists in the 15-point victory.
“They just outplayed us for way too much of the night tonight to come out of here with a win,” Daigneault said. “We shot more free throws. They shot 20-something percent from three. It was just kind of a point-of-attack, offensive rebounds; they just kind of outworked us for that one.”
Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led six players in double figures with 24 points. However, it took him 21 attempts to get there as he finished 6-of-21 from the floor but was a perfect 11-for-11 from the free-throw line. He also added nine assists and eight rebounds. All-Star Jalen Williams finished with 20 points and five assists, and Lu Dort tallied 14 points.
Anthony Edwards’ MVP claim on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
After beating the Thunder, Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards praised Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for his performance. Despite starting the 1-for-11 from the floor, Gilgeous-Alexander bounced back by finishing the night 5-for-11 and attacking the rim early and often en route to connecting on 11 free throws.
After the game, Edwards discussed Gilgeous-Alexander’s performance, per NBA on TNT.
"He’s looking like the MVP, man," Edwards said.
Gilgeous-Alexander responded, "The best satisfaction is when your peers recognize and respect your craft."
Game recognizes game
SGA & Ant square off again as the @timberwolves host the @okcthunder tonight at 8:30pm ET on TNT! pic.twitter.com/LcrM8JAJhl
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 13, 2025
The Thunder enter the NBA All-Star break with a 44-10, leading the Western Conference standings, where they’ve remained for much of the entire season. It’s an impressive 54-game stretch for the Thunder, with Gilgeous-Alexander leading the early returns for this year’s MVP award.
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