Game 2 Preview: Timberwolves at Thunder

The Minnesota Timberwolves dropped Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals thanks to poor shooting and questionable officiating. Can the Wolves regroup and steal a game on the road to tie up the series 1-1, or will Minnesota find itself in a dangerous 0-2 hole?

Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder – Game 2
Date: May 22nd, 2025
Time: 7:30 PM CDT
Location: Paycom Center
Television Coverage: ESPN/ESPN News
Radio Coverage: KFAN FM/Wolves App/iHeart Radio

Western Conference Finals, Game 1: The Wolves Got Thunderstruck—And Not in a Cool AC/DC Way

Let’s be clear about something upfront: Game 1 wasn’t just a loss. It was a cinematic collapse. The kind of unraveling that deserves its own Ken Burns slow-zoom documentary treatment. The Timberwolves started like a team that had just dropped the Warriors like a bad habit—crisp, confident, hitting shots, looking like the more physical team. But what unfolded over the 48 minutes of Game 1 felt like watching a bottle of red wine fall off a white tablecloth in slow motion: you can’t stop it, you can’t look away, and by the end, you’re just pissed at everything, including gravity.

Let’s rewind to the good part—back when hope was alive. Jaden McDaniels hit the first three of the night, the Wolves got out to an early lead, and for a fleeting moment, you could almost hear the ghost of Kevin Garnett whisper, “Anything is possible.”

But then came the opening gut punch disguised as officiating. Ninety seconds in, Gobert picks up two fouls that felt less like basketball calls and more like performance art. The parade to the free-throw line continued for OKC, allowing them to hang around early, even while their offense ground to a halt. Despite the chaos, Minnesota still led at the half. They were defending, they were rebounding, and Julius Randle was channeling 2015 Steph Curry with heat-check threes like he was trying to melt the paint off the rims.

But lurking beneath that 4-point halftime lead was the foul trouble iceberg. Anthony Edwards, McDaniels, Randle—they were all collecting fouls like Pokémon cards. By the time the early third quarter hit, McDaniels picked up his third and fourth fouls and was relegated to the bench, Ant was looking at the refs like they owed him money, and the Thunder started slithering their way back into the game like a Harry Potter villain: slow, deliberate, and with questionable moral integrity.

And yes, we need to talk about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Look, I respect the dude. He’s a top-ten player in the league. He’s smooth. He’s slippery. But the way he manipulates referees deserves an honorary Oscar. There were possessions where he looked like a waving inflatable tube man from a used car lot. Arms flying, legs flailing, screaming into the void—and somehow, he ends up at the free throw line while our guy is whistled for being within six feet of him.

It’s not just the free throws, though that’s bad enough. It’s the cascading effect foul baiting has on the game. When McDaniels has to play with four fouls, he’s not guarding Shai the same way. He’s guarding like a guy trying to avoid a fifth date with a girl who wants to meet his parents—hesitant, cautious, and generally ineffective. And once McDaniels fouled out with two more ghost calls in the fourth, the Thunder smelled blood in the water.

OKC hung a 70-point second half on what had been one of the best defenses in basketball. Seventy. That’s not basketball—that’s NBA Jam with the turbo always on. The Wolves, meanwhile, shot 15-of-51 from three. That’s 29%, which in theory is manageable… until you realize that includes 0-for-7 from Naz Reid and a combined 5-for-21 from DDV and NAW.

Still—somehow, somehow—this was a 10-point game with five minutes left. And then? Boom. The wheels fell off. The train hit the oil slick. Minnesota turned the ball over, missed more open threes, and OKC finished the game on a nuclear heater while Wolves fans sat there like someone just spoiled the end of “The Sixth Sense” again.

Final score: Thunder 114, Wolves 88. It felt worse.

So What Now?

The Wolves are down 0-1, on the road, with Game 2 looming like a dentist appointment. But this isn’t a time for panic—it’s a time for adjustments. Because as much as Game 1 was a symphony of frustration, this was a winnable game for 43 minutes. You don’t need to blow it up. You just need to tweak the knobs. So here are the five keys heading into Game 2:

1. Preserve McDaniels, Preserve the Defense

Jaden McDaniels is the Kevlar vest this team wears on the perimeter. You don’t use a Kevlar vest to block Nerf darts—you save it for the real threats. And right now, that threat is SGA. But if guarding him means McDaniels spends half the game in a folding chair on the sideline next to assistant coaches, it’s a losing trade.

So here’s the adjustment: make SGA earn every inch by committee. If NAW picks up two fouls, so be it. If DDV gets torched on a couple drives, fine. Let those guys absorb the bruises. McDaniels can still check SGA for key possessions late in quarters or when the Wolves need a lockdown stop, but we have to stop pretending this is NBA 2K where stamina and foul limits don’t exist.

Put him on Jalen Williams. He’s OKC’s second option and a sneaky good slasher. You take him out of rhythm, you shrink the Thunder’s margin of error. That’s chess, not checkers. You can’t win the war if your best knight keeps getting sent to the penalty box every time he moves.

2. Hit Your Damn Shots

Look, nobody’s saying the Wolves need to turn into the Splash Brothers overnight. But 15-for-51? That’s not just cold—it’s cryogenic. There were moments in Game 1 where it felt like the rim had a lid on it.

Naz Reid—love the guy, but he couldn’t hit Lake Minnetonka from a boat in that game. And it wasn’t just him. The spacing was there. The looks were clean. OKC dared the Wolves to win from deep, and Minnesota simply couldn’t close the deal.

So what do we do? Stick with the process—but tweak the shot profile. If you’re DDV and you’re 1-for-8, start attacking the paint. Drive, kick, reset the offense. Don’t turn Game 2 into a stubborn three-point contest just to prove a point. The Wolves can shoot. We’ve seen it. But shot selection matters, rhythm matters, and—maybe most importantly—confidence matters. If the first two don’t fall, don’t panic. Just find your next best shot and let Ant or Randle create it.

3. Protect the Rock Like It’s the Infinity Gauntlet

Turnovers were brutal. Backbreaking. And against a team like OKC, they were ultimately lethal.

The Thunder are built to feast on transition chaos. It’s their cheat code. They don’t have size, but they have length and speed, and if you give them 16-18 fast break points off turnovers? You’re handing them a victory without making them earn it in the halfcourt.

Chris Finch needs to stress this all week: value each possession like it’s a Game 7 possession. You can’t win a game where you give away 10–12 extra scoring chances and brick 36 threes. Clean up one of those things, and you’re back in business. Clean up both, and Game 2 becomes your bounce-back party.

4. Rudy Needs to Be Rudy—Not Rudy in Foul Jail

Rudy Gobert was on the floor for about as long as a TikTok trend before he got hit with two fouls and sent to time-out. And when he’s off the court, everything collapses—rim protection, defensive rebounding, interior intimidation. It’s like the Wolves lose their spine. Rudy has to find a way to stay on the floor, while also not playing timidly.

And on offense? Don’t force the issue just to keep him engaged. He needs to contribute with his his bread and butter – the lob, the putback. An active Rudy needs to be part of the plan. Because when Rudy’s locked in, everything else tightens up. And when he’s not? We’re left watching 70-point second halves.

5. Let Ant Be Ant-Man—Not Ant-Sized

Anthony Edwards is the soul of this team. When he’s attacking, yelling, flexing, talking trash like he just walked out of a Jordan commercial—the Wolves believe. But in Game 1, he looked… hesitant. Not bad, not passive. But not the assertive, swagger-drenched Ant that wrecked Denver and went toe-to-toe with LeBron and KD.

Maybe it was the officiating. Maybe it was OKC’s length. Maybe it was his rolled ankle. Maybe it was just an off night. But this can’t be a trend.

Ant needs to come into Game 2 with a takeover mentality. Get to his midrange spots. Drive and draw fouls. Keep kicking to open shooters, sure—but don’t defer. This team needs Ant to be the alpha. To break the defense. To tilt the floor. The NBA Playoffs are a superstar’s proving ground, and Edwards has the chance to plant his flag in enemy territory.

This is the moment where he needs to go from “emerging” to arrived.

The Final Word: The Wolves Aren’t Done. They’re Just Getting Started.

Game 1 felt awful. It was frustrating, chaotic, poorly officiated, and filled with missed shots and blown chances. But you know what else it was?

Winnable.

The Wolves led for more than half the game. They defended well for two quarters. They had open shots, and they got what they wanted offensively—especially early. The Thunder didn’t outclass them. They didn’t look invincible. They looked beatable.

The officiating? It probably won’t be that absurd again. The shooting? Regression is a thing. The adjustments? They’re right there on the clipboard.

What we saw in Game 1 wasn’t a reality check—it was a reminder. A reminder that to win in May, you’ve got to be sharper, tougher, and more connected. You’ve got to battle through foul trouble, trust your depth, and take your shots with confidence.

And you’ve got to believe. Because this team isn’t here by accident. This group has the potential to be the best Wolves team ever.

Ever.

They’ve got a 4x Defensive Player of the Year. They’ve got a budding superstar and future face of the league. They’ve got size, swagger, depth, and a bit of… treachery.

This series is far from over. Game 2 is the swing game. The Wolves know what went wrong. Now it’s time to make it right.

Back against the wall? Good. That’s when this team plays their best.

Let’s go.