The Minnesota Timberwolves finally succumbed to the Oklahoma City Thunders after coming into the matchup having won the last two games over their divisional opponent. Things got off to a scary start when budding superstar Karl-Anthony Towns had to leave the court after colliding with Thunder forward Andre Roberson in the first quarter.

Fortunately, Towns was able to return in the second quarter after quickly being patched up for a cut over his right eye. According to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, the former No. 1 overall pick said afterward he was also being checked for any further potential damage to the area:

Article Continues Below
More Timberwolves News
The Minnesota Timberwolves receive a grade for the Naz Reid contract.
Grading Timberwolves’ $125 million Naz Reid contractAbdullah Imran ·
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) reacts against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half in game three of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center.
Grading Timberwolves’ $100 million Julius Randle contractRishav Bhat ·
LeBron James with the logos of every NBA team in the background.
Ranking 5 best LeBron James trade destinations after Rich Paul’s bombshell Lakers quotesBailey Bassett ·
Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) during the second quarter in game five of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center
Naz Reid’s massive Timberwolves contract has Bobby Marks questioning value of dealJackson Stone ·
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Nickeil Alexander-Walker (9) prepares to play the New Orleans Pelicans before the game at Target Center.
NBA rumors: Pistons, Hawks the leaders to steal away Timberwolves free agentRishav Bhat ·
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) reacts against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half in game three of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center.
Timberwolves’ Julius Randle to sign $100 million contract after Naz Reid bonanzaTroy Finnegan ·

It is promising to see Towns was able to return with yet another strong performance. Despite the loss, he finished with 23 points, nine rebounds, and two steals. Furthermore, his status moving forward does not appear to be in any kind of jeopardy.

Minnesota has had a rough time staying in the win column as of late. Most of their frustrations have notably been attributed to the defensive end of the floor. Fortunately, the Timberwolves have a rather favorable schedule coming up. Six of their next seven opponents all have records below .500, which provides them with an ample opportunity to shore things up on defense.