Play preview #56 – Timberwolves vs. Thunder

Minnesota Timberwolves against Oklahoma City Thunder
Date: February 13, 2025
Time: 7:30 p.m. CST
Location: Rocket mortgage field house
TV reporting: TNT/Trutv/Max
Radio cover: KFAN FM/WOLVES App/Iheart Radio

Timberwolves vs. Thunder: A measuring game in the glove route

Okay, Timberwolves fans – it will be fun. Or exhausting. Probably both. Minnesota against Oklahoma City in the Target Center on Thursday evening, and we immerse yourself in this preview totally blindly. Why? Because I started a flight early in the morning on Thursday and this type before the wolves take off against the Bucks on Wednesday. Perhaps the wolves took care of the business against a Giannisless Milwaukee squad, or maybe they threw a DUD up and let everyone stared on the floor in the target center on the ground. In any case, the second half of this back back is a big one.

So let’s skip the summary that we do not yet know and go directly to what is important to the wolves that face the western conference thunder in a measurement game for this squad in Minnesota. If there is ever a time to record the protective helmet and dig deeply, then it is now.

The schedule from hell

If you have done the NBA time plan, you really have to hate the timber wolves. Take a look at this route. Cavs, Bucks, Donner, rockets, thunder again (twice!), Then the Lakers. It is like a video game in which every level boss becomes harder and is the last boss LeBron, Luka and the spirits of the showtime era Pat Riley.

In order to make things worse, the wolves lack key pieces such as Julius Randle and Donte Divincenzo. Both boys would have been helpful against the thunder, which has length, sportiness and youth – essentially the perfect cocktail for chaos. But that’s the NBA, isn’t it? No excuses. If the wolves want to prove that they belong to the upper level of the West, this is their chance.

Key to the game: What the wolves have to do to win

1. Anthony Edwards has to go Supernova

There is no dancing: Ant-Man must be the best player on the pitch. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from Oklahoma City plays all season at MVP level. He is the guy who ruins your night with a quiet 35 points and ask: “Wait, how did that happen?”

But Edwards has been on a different level lately. Three 40-point games? If Edwards go from Toe-toe with SGA and exceed him, the wolves have a legitimate shot to steal it. We need to attack aggressive ant die rim, draw fouls, get to the free sausage line and switch off shots from beyond the arch. Bonus points when he throws down one of these dunks that shakes the Target Center like an old wrestlemania amount.

2. Win the battle on the boards

No edge means that the wolves on the suburb are a little thin, which Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid puts in the spotlight. You have to dominate the glass. Limit the second chance of Oklahoma City and create some simple ones for the wolves at the other end. Rudy can not only be a defensive presence – he also has to contribute to the offensive. Set it for praise, clear up mistakes and get this high -proof bucket.

If Gobert Okcs can revise great, this could be the difference between a close victory and a frustrating loss.

3 .. guard the scope of how your life depends on it

The thunder loves to shoot. Shai is a killer from the medium range, and its supportive line -up can take the look if you are not careful. Here Jaden McDaniels, Nickeil Alexander Walker and Jaylen Clark have to shine.

Close hard. Dispute every shot. Forcing the thunder into hard mid-range jumpers. The wolves cannot afford to become OKC from deep, especially on tired legs during a back.

4. depth and energy matter

Both teams don’t play a break. The wolves have the home advantage, while the thunder has to rise on a nightly flight from OKC. This is an edge that Minnesota cannot waste.

High-energy people like McDaniels, Clark and Alexander Walker have to bring it early. Be shabby. Fights for loose balls. Catch the thunder unprepared and let them work for everything.

If the wolves can use these “energy against Portland” to the energy of the fourth quarter, they could only overwhelm before they even realize what they have hit.

Why this game counts

It is easy to release this game as “just another matchup in February”, but it is much larger than that. The wolves and thunder will see each other a lot in the next few weeks. A victory here gives Minnesota a certain confidence in this brutal route after the all-star.

It is even more important that it keeps them in search of a top-six seeds and avoids the dreaded game tournament. There is still a way for the wolves to climb into the top 4 and to secure the advantage of the home court in the first round. But this path becomes much harder if you cannot steal one or two games from OKC.

Predict: Can the wolves steal you?

When Anthony Edwards is healthy and how he plays in the past few weeks, I like the chances of the wolves. If he is limited or has a night, it could quickly get ugly.

Let’s assume Ant Drops 35, Rudy Holt 16 rebounds and Jaden McDaniel’s chips with 18 points and some suffocating defense. That is the formula for a win.

Forecast? Wolves 113, thunder 109.

Now finish it, Minnesota. Don’t let me regret this optimism. And let’s go into the all-star break with a high note.