Game 5 Preview: Timberwolves at Thunder

The Minnesota Timberwolves are on the brink of elimination heading into Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. Can the Wolves bring the intensity and play their best basketball to send the series back to Minnesota?

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder – Game 5
Date: May 28th, 2025
Time: 7:30 PM CDT
Location: Paycom Center
Television Coverage: ESPN
Radio Coverage: KFAN FM/Wolves App/iHeart Radio

After the enigma that was Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, the Minnesota Timberwolves now find themselves staring down a 3-1 series deficit against the Oklahoma City Thunder. And when I say enigma, I mean the kind of game that has you pacing around your living room at 2 a.m., whispering, “How did we lose that?” like you’re trying to solve a true crime documentary.

Let’s run through the absurdity.

If I told you Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle combined for just 21 points—Ant with 16 and Randle with a soul-crushing five—you’d assume the Wolves got blown out by 25, right? But they lost by two. Two points. Against a team with two future All-NBA guys who combined for 74.

And if I told you Jaden McDaniels, Donte DiVincenzo, and NAW would combine for 66 points as the team’s usual third, fourth, and fifth scoring options, you’d assume the Wolves had a double-digit win. Instead, we got a stomach punch loss that felt like a Greek tragedy told in transition buckets and second-chance points.

Here’s the part that hurts the most: the Wolves had chances. They turned the ball over 21 times. They got out-rebounded, out-hustled, and out-efforted. Yet they were one fluky fall on the floor, roll the ball between Jaden McDaniel’s legs, right to an open Jalen Williams play away from sending this thing back to OKC tied at 2-2.

But now, the Wolves are on the edge. One more loss and the best chance this franchise has ever had at a title turns into another painful chapter in the Timberwolves Book of What-Ifs. And yes, we’ve read this book before—in 2004 with KG, in 2024 against Dallas, and now, in 2025, with a rising superstar and real championship dreams.

Still, all is not lost. There is a path. But it starts with Game 5 in Oklahoma City. A win there and suddenly it’s 3-2 going back to the Target Center, with a chance to push the series to the brink. But that means Minnesota needs to bring their best, most desperate effort of the season on the road.

So, here are the keys to keeping this dream alive:

1. Want It More – The Effort War

In Game 3, the Wolves looked like the team that would rather die than go down 0-3. They were swarming, attacking, rebounding, hustling—every cliché that means they gave a damn. But in Game 4? They didn’t have quite the same edge. The Thunder out-hustled them to 50/50 balls. They out-sprinted them in transition. They turned missed shots into extra possessions. That’s not going to cut it on the road in Game 5.

This is where guys like Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels have to set the tone with energy. The Timberwolves can’t afford a single passenger in this game—everyone has to contribute to the effort, especially when it comes to physicality and closing out possessions. Wanting it more isn’t just a talking point—it’s the difference between forcing a Game 6 and packing your bags.

Tonight, the Timberwolves are playing to save their season. The Thunder are playing to avoid taking an airplane to Minneapolis. The intensity that the Wolves bring to the floor in Game 5 needs to embody that stark contrast. Our sense of desperation needs to exceed their sense of destiny.

2. Take Care of the Damn Ball

Let’s say this loud for the people in the back: 21 turnovers in a 2-point loss is criminal. That’s 21 empty possessions. In a game where you shot 51% from the field. If the Wolves had even 17 turnovers instead of 21, they likely win. That’s the game right there.

Oklahoma City thrives off live-ball turnovers. It fuels their pace, energizes their crowd, and lets guys like Jalen Williams and SGA feast in transition. Minnesota has to value every possession like it’s their last cigarette on death row. That starts with Mike Conley. He’s been the only consistently positive +/- player for the Wolves this entire series. Conley is the adult in the room. He makes smart decisions, slows down chaos, and finds guys in rhythm.

If Conley’s not on the floor, NAW, Donte, Ant, and even Randle have to be smarter. That means tighter ball-handling, simpler passes, and less hero-ball when OKC blitzes. Turnovers aren’t always flashy, but they are silent killers—and Game 4 was a massacre.

3. Rebounding Like the Season Depends on It (Because It Does)

The Wolves got punked on the glass in Game 4. That’s just the truth. OKC pulled down 19 offensive boards and got countless long rebounds that extended possessions. The final tally wasn’t as lopsided as it felt, but the timing of those rebounds was soul-crushing. Every time the Wolves made a run, OKC got a second chance bucket.

Rudy Gobert has to dominate. Not be solid. Not be passable. Dominate. You can’t be Defensive Player of the Year and get neutralized by 208-pound Chet Holmgren. Julius Randle has to hit the glass harder. Naz Reid needs to be a menace. Even the wings—Donte, McDaniels, Ant—need to fly in for long rebounds. Rebounding is about will as much as size, and the Wolves didn’t show enough will in Game 4. They need to become a gang-rebounding team in Game 5. Treat every loose ball like it’s the last donut in the box.

4. Don’t Let SGA Cook You Again

Game 3 was a defensive masterclass. The Wolves forced the ball out of SGA’s hands, blitzed him early, and dared someone else to beat them. And it worked. Game 4? SGA torched them for 40 points and looked like he was playing chess while the Wolves were playing checkers.

Jalen Williams stepped up and made them pay for helping. Chet hit some big threes. But ultimately, the Wolves let the one guy who can’t beat them… beat them. That can’t happen again. This is the moment for Chris Finch to cook up something creative. Box-and-one. Extended traps. Pre-switching to get length on him. Whatever it takes.

Make someone else hit the dagger. If it’s Isaiah Joe or Cason Wallace or Chet Holmgren taking that shot, you live with it. But if SGA dances into another 35+ night and dictates the pace? It’s over.

5. Julius Randle – Where Are You?

After a monster series against Golden State, Julius Randle has been a coin flip against the Thunder. Game 1, he was great early and disappeared late. Game 2, absent. Game 3, he looked like the bully-ball beast he can be. Game 4? Five points, five turnovers, and the body language of someone trying to file for PTO.

Yes, Lou Dort is a pain in the neck. Yes, OKC is swarming him with help defenders. But Randle has to be smarter. When the double comes, kick it. When you have the size mismatch, punish it. And most importantly: crash the glass and don’t turn it over.

You don’t need 25 points. But you do need impact. If Randle’s giving you 5/7/3 with a negative-2 and looks like he’s disinterested, that’s not good enough. The Wolves traded for him to win these moments. This is it.

6. Anthony Edwards – The Crown or the Crossroads

Here’s the deal: everything we’ve built, every dream Wolves fans have dared to believe in, hinges on #5. Game 4 was a mixed bag. He made the right reads early and didn’t force it—but also looked like he was trying to facilitate the whole offense through molasses. Two shot attempts in the first half? Can’t happen.

He turned it on in the second half and nearly stole the game. But you don’t get bonus points for almost.

Ant needs to put his cape on in Game 5. Yes, make the right play. Yes, pass when doubled. But he also needs to assert himself. Force OKC to pick their poison. If they double him, make them pay with assists. If they don’t, take over.

This is his moment. This is where legends are born or stories end. He’s already knocked out KD, LeBron, Steph, Jokic, Luka. But if he wants to be in that pantheon? He has to beat SGA and drag this franchise to its first NBA Finals.

We don’t need the highlight reel version of Ant. We need the refuse to lose version. The “I’m dropping 38 and you’re not stopping me” version.

The Road Ahead: Desperation Over Destiny

The Wolves are down 3-1. We know the odds. Only 13 teams in NBA history have come back from that hole. And the path isn’t pretty: Win in OKC. Win at home. Win a Game 7 on the road. That’s Mount Everest without oxygen.

But the Timberwolves don’t have to win three games right now. They have to win one.

Win one game and suddenly OKC feels pressure. Win one game and you get to come back to Target Center with 20,000 lunatics in your corner. Win one game and you make this a series again.

They’re 48 minutes from elimination, but also 48 minutes from resurrection. The Wolves don’t need perfect—they need effort, control, toughness, and Ant being him.

It’s Game 5. In enemy territory. Season on the line. You either show up with blood in your eyes and fire in your chest, or you don’t.

Let’s find out what this team is made of.