The Wolves had a rough second half in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals after leading the first 24 minutes. How do the player grades shake out after a disappointing defeat?
Welcome to the Western Conference Finals: Now Get Off the Floor
Well, that was a buzzsaw.
In what should’ve been a statement game for a franchise trying to announce its arrival on the NBA’s biggest stage, the Minnesota Timberwolves instead got punched in the mouth, slipped on the mat, knocked over the water cooler, and spent the entire second half staring up at the scoreboard wondering what the hell just happened.
Final score: Oklahoma City 114, Minnesota 88.
Let’s be clear—the first half wasn’t a disaster. In fact, for the most part, it was downright encouraging. Julius Randle looked like Julius from the alternate universe where he’s secretly a Splash Brother. The Wolves defended well, moved the ball, and went into halftime up four despite foul trouble, missed open looks, and the Shai making his case for “best actor” with his typical flail game.
Then came the third quarter, aka the Timberwolves’ annual playoff stomach punch. You could hear the crash from Duluth. A 70-point second half from OKC. A 15-for-51 mark from three for Minnesota (somehow worse than it sounds). And most importantly, absolutely no one outside of Julius seemed interested in making their mark in Game 1.
But let’s break it down player by player, because we have to process this like a proper playoff game funeral—with cold grades, brutal honesty, and the occasional glimmer of hope.
Julius Randle: B+
Julius started this game like he was auditioning for a TNT documentary on the greatest first halves in playoff history. Four threes in the first 24 minutes. Stepping into 28-footers like it was warmups. It was beautiful, and for a moment, we all believed.
But like every great first act, there has to be a second. And Randle’s second half? Eight points in the final 24 minutes. One assist total. A team-leading five turnovers. Better Thunder defense? Possibly. A failure by his teammates to finish on would-be assists? Definitely. But if the Wolves are going to survive this series, Julius has to be the engine for four quarters. A great start, a mediocre finish, and a B+ that somehow feels both too generous and too harsh.
Anthony Edwards: C-
This wasn’t “Ant-Man.” This was more like “Ant… Where You At?”
Look, you can’t be the face of the franchise, the alpha dog, the guy everybody says is “next”—and then drop a pedestrian 18-9-3 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Especially not when the team desperately needs someone to settle things after the wheels start coming off.
The worst part wasn’t even the stat line. It was the tentativeness. The body language. The passive probing when we needed someone to throw OKC off rhythm and say, “This game is mine.” Instead, Ant let it slip away—and threw in a technical and some immature fouls for good measure. Injuring his ankle again early in the game certainly didn’t help the situation, but we’ve seen Ant brush off similar bruises and finish strong.
He’ll bounce back. But this was a ghost performance when the Wolves needed a ghostbuster.
Jaden McDaniels: Incomplete
This was a crime scene, and the yellow tape should’ve read: “Ref interference.”
McDaniels played 24 minutes before fouling out—on a bunch of calls that ranged from “soft” to “is this a middle school game?” Without him on the court, the Wolves’ perimeter defense turned into a leaky faucet in the secound half. Water everywhere, and no plumber in sight.
Before he got whistled into oblivion, McDaniels was solid: 7-6-3 and making SGA work. Considering he was only allowed to play half a game, those aren’t bad stats if you double them. But once he was glued to the bench, the floodgates opened. The Wolves are cooked in this series if Jaden can’t stay on the court for 35+.
Rudy Gobert: C-
This is tricky. Rudy only played 21 minutes, thanks to picking up two fouls in the first 90 seconds. After that, he was in and out like a high school sub trying not to get his warmup shirt dirty.
And yeah, two points and three boards is pathetic. But here’s the rub: when Rudy was on the court, OKC didn’t get much at the rim. His plus-minus was somehow only -2, which in a game where you lost by 26 is the basketball equivalent of walking through a hurricane and only getting slightly wet.
Still—Rudy needs to be better. Period. And if the refs are going to call “breathing on Chet” as a foul, then Rudy has to adjust.
Mike Conley Jr.: C+
The only Timberwolf with a positive plus-minus. Mike Conley, ladies and gentlemen!
Unfortunately, that’s about where the good news ends. Two-for-eight from the field. One-for-five from three.
We need “Minnesota Mike,” the guy who slows things down, hits dagger threes, and never turns the ball over. If he can’t play major minutes in this series, it’s going to get dark fast for Minnesota’s ball-handling.
Donte DiVincenzo: D+
If you’ve ever seen a heat-check guy try to shoot himself into a rhythm—and miss every heater—it looked like Donte’s Game 1.
Three-for-fourteen overall. Three-for-twelve from deep. And most of those threes looked like he was taking them because nobody else wanted to. You admire the confidence, but there’s a fine line between irrational belief and actively sabotaging your team’s offense.
Wolves brought him in for one reason: to shoot. If those shots aren’t falling, Donte can become a net negative real quick.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker: C-
His job was to defend his cousin. Unfortunately, it turns out SGA wasn’t at the family barbecue—he was busy cooking NAW instead.
Defensively, NAW was not able to be the stop-gap the Wolves needed him to be. Eight points on 3-for-11 shooting. When Jaden’s out and you’re playing extended minutes, you have to knock down open shots.
Naz Reid: F-
Two Word: F. Minus.
It breaks my heart to say this about the man whose beach towel I proudly wave, but Naz’s performance in Game 1 was brutal. Just absolutely brutal.
1-for-11. 0-for-7 from three. Four points, and -21 plus/minus. You don’t need a calculator to know that’s a disaster.
Naz is the X-factor in this series. When he hits shots, the Wolves are a nightmare to guard. When he doesn’t, the paint gets clogged, the spacing dies, and everything turns into “Pass around the perimeter until someone bricks a three.”
He’ll have better games. He has to.
Jalen Clark: B-
Got a little run due to foul trouble, and held up admirably. That’s a win in this context.
Final Thoughts
Game 1 wasn’t just a loss—it was a warning. The Thunder are the real deal. This isn’t the poorly-constructed Lakers. This isn’t the Warriors without Steph. This is a fast, disciplined, smart, and well-coached team that’s going to make you pay for every mistake.
And the Wolves? They made plenty.
But the good news? It’s only 1-0. A series doesn’t start until someone wins on the road. The Wolves still have time. Ant still has time. Julius is still cooking. And if they can find a way to knock down some shots and punch back in Game 2, everything changes.
Game 2 is the real test. The “Are we ready for this moment?” test.
And I know the Wolves have it within themselves to ace it.