Timberwolves do what few have done: Defeat Oklahoma City

The final 48 hours leading into the All-Star break encapsulated what has been a confounding first two-thirds of a season for the Timberwolves.

On Wednesday, the Wolves lost to a Milwaukee team that was down its top two players in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. Then Thursday was shaping up to be a bloodbath.

They were down half their regular rotation, as Rudy Gobert (back spasms) joined previously injured Mike Conley (dislocated finger), Julius Randle (right adductor strain) and Donte DiVincenzo (toe) on the bench in the final game before the All-Star break.

Not only that, but the Wolves were facing the Western Conference-leading Thunder, a buzzsaw of a team that was at full health.

So of course the Wolves went out and had their most improbable win of the season in an exhilarating 116-101 victory over Oklahoma City. Even more improbable, the Wolves (31-25) never trailed all night, and they won while Anthony Edwards struggled with shooting, scoring 23 points on 5-for-18 shooting to go with seven assists.

“I think everybody who came in really did something to impact winning tonight,” coach Chris Finch said. “Had some amazing performances.”

At the top of that list was Naz Reid, who turned in a career night with 27 points, 13 rebounds and a career-high seven assists. Reid came up with timely buckets all night from outside and in. He took advantage of mismatches in the post and hit three three-pointers, helping to keep the Thunder from going on an extended run, their trademark method of putting teams away. That killer run never came.

Jaden McDaniels again stepped up when the Wolves needed it with 21 points, six rebounds and five assists and tough defense on Jalen Williams all night.

The Wolves also got quality minutes off the bench from Rob Dillingham, who bounced back from a tough stretch of games with six points and five assists. There was Luka Garza, who gutted out a lot of tough rebounds and overcame his recent struggles for eight points and eight rebounds. Garza and Dillingham were part of the fourth-quarter unit that extended the Wolves’ 10-point lead entering the fourth to as much as 18.

“Just doing the game plan, making sure we don’t mess up the little things, being on point and playing defense,” Dillingham said.

Then there was Terrence Shannon Jr., who had 13 points and six rebounds in a career-high 29 minutes. Shannon attacked the rim with little regard for who got in his way. He, along with McDaniels, set a physical tone to the game that told the Thunder the Wolves weren’t going to back down.

“I feel like I’m feared in transition and getting downhill, and that’s where I’m at my best,” Shannon said. “I’ve got great guys around me like Ant, Naz, Jaden who can all space the floor. So they give me space, and I just do my thing.”

BOXSCORE: Wolves 116, Thunder 101

NBA standings

After the game, Finch gave a long answer that praised Shannon’s development, which was coming along well before a foot injury sidelined him. He said the Wolves liked that Shannon plays with that level of physicality, that he can make officials “make a call one way or another.” That happened a few times, and Finch even successfully challenged a charge on Shannon in the first half.

“He loves finishing with reckless abandon, and we need that,” Finch said. “It’s a part of the reason we identified him in the draft. We had other guys that maybe were younger guys, but we wanted somebody who was a little bit more physically and mentally ready to play right away.”

He has been ready to play the past two nights as Finch has turned to him with the Wolves shorthanded.

“I love how the young guys have been playing, I really do,” said Finch, who has received some flak from corners of the fan base for not playing his young players as much as he’s had to recently. “We’ve got to try to maintain a role for them going forward. Maybe not every night. They’ve got to stay ready. Who knows when and how healthy we’ll get at any given time, so we’ll wait for that to happen before we make any predicitons. But I just kind of like how they’re fighting.”

Minnehaha Academy’s Chet Holmgren had 11 points and was on the receiving end of a posterizing dunk from Edwards in the first quarter that sent a jolt of energy through the arena.

Even after one of their best wins of the season, the Wolves didn’t feel much like talking. They wanted to get their break started. The locker room was almost cleared out when reporters entered. Dillingham and Shannon made rookie mistakes in not getting out quickly enough, meaning they had to do interviews.

“We came in together so we just work out every day and wait for our opportunity,” Dillingham said. “Everyone is just positive with what they do.”