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MINNEAPOLIS — For Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, having a sense of urgency from start to finish goes a long way in the postseason, especially against a Minnesota Timberwolves team facing a 2-0 deficit in the Western Conference Finals. After Timberwolves fans disrupted Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault during his postgame press conference, Gilgeous-Alexander delivered the harsh truth about Game 3's 143-101 blowout loss.
Gilgeous-Alexander bluntly recapped a 41-point Thunder beating, pulling no punches on what went wrong in Oklahoma City's worst postseason loss.
“To sum it up: we just didn’t have it. They obviously had it with the sense of urgency, knowing if they go down 3-0 it’s gonna be pretty tough,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But it felt they eased into the game and they didn't, and they blitzed us pretty early. And we were never able to get back because of it. They just came out with a sense of urgency and we didn't. On top of that, when we play a really good team, it looks like that. So, we gotta start and come out with a sense of urgency.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after losing Game 3:
“To sum it up: we just didn’t have it. They obviously had it with a sense of urgency, knowing if they go down 3-0 it’s gonna be pretty tough… so we gotta start and come out with a sense of urgency” pic.twitter.com/YIq1g0QnN4
— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) May 25, 2025
With the possibility of trailing the Thunder 3-0 in the Western Conference Finals, the Timberwolves got out to a fast start from the jump, grabbing a 34-14 lead after the opening frame. Then, Minnesota outscored its opponent 38-27 in the following frame before eventually grabbing a 45-point advantage in the second half.
All-Star Anthony Edwards' 30 points led seven Timberwolves players in double figures, including Julius Randle, who finished with 24 points, and Terrence Shannon Jr.'s 15 points led the Timberwolves' second unit.
Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 14 points, but it took him 13 attempts (4-of-13). He also only finished 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 11.0 free-throw attempts throughout the Western Conference Finals. Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams had a quiet night, scoring 13 points on 3-of-9 shooting, four rebounds, and two assists.
Mark Daigneault's Thunder presser interrupted by fans
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As the Timberwolves' lead ballooned throughout the first half, Thunder fans were beside themselves in horror, and it never improved. Then, Timberwolves fans howled at Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault.
Still, Daigneault powered through to get his point across on what went awry in Game 3's loss.
“We generated a lot of rhythm in the other games than we did tonight, and I thought that impacted our rhythm stepping into those shots,” Daigneault said. “Some of that was them. I thought they did a great job offensively and defensively, especially from the jump.”
Mark Daigneault on the Thunder’s look offensively in Game 3
*while excited Timberwolves fans howled by the presser on their way out* pic.twitter.com/olOEdireFl
— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) May 25, 2025
The Thunder will look to bounce back in Game 4 on Monday.
