Timberwolves pull off record comeback, beat Thunder 131-128 in overtime after trailing by 25 points

OKLAHOMA CITY – Monday was not shaping up to be a thriller.

The Timberwolves’ injuries look like they had finally caught up to them against the best team in the Western Conference, and they were down as much as 25 in the second half.

Even coach Chris Finch pulled Anthony Edwards with 3 minutes, 41 seconds to play. But from that moment onward, the Wolves erased all of a 16-point Thunder lead the rest of the fourth quarter and prevailed in overtime for their most dramatic win of the season 131-128. They outscored Oklahoma City 41-19 in the fourth quarter to force the OT.

“We kept fighting,” Finch said. “The team fights, it always has. We don’t always play the prettiest basketball, but it’s been fighting for a long, long time.”

What seemed like a sure lopsided loss turned into a team-record-setting comeback for the Wolves as they erased what was once a 25-point deficit at 80-55 with 7:25 left in the third quarter to tie the score with 11.9 seconds left in regulation. Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaden McDaniels led the scoring charge as the Wolves held the Thunder without a point the rest of regulation.

The Wolves had cut the Thunder lead to 121-118 with 51.9 seconds to play, before McDaniels converted a three-point play with 11.9 seconds to play to tie the score at 121-121.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed a potential winner for the Thunder, before the Wolves’ Nickeil Alexander-Walker missed a runner as time expired.

In the overtime, the Wolves took a 125-124 lead on a pair of McDaniels free throws with 3:06 left. After Aaron Wiggins put the Thunder ahead 126-125 on a pair of free throws, Finch went back to Edwards with 1:48 to play. Naz Reid gave the Wolves a lead again with 1:02 to play with two free throws before Alex Caruso hit a driving layup to put Oklahoma City back up 128-127 with 45.1 seconds left.

A wild sequence ensued after Reid missed, Edwards stole the outlet pass and Reid got the ball back and was fouled with 22.8 left. He put the Wolves ahead 129-128. Edwards then blocked Gilgeous-Alexander at the rim.

“That took everything out of me,” said Edwards, who said he missed the end of the fourth quarter and the star of overtime because of an injured calf. “What’s crazy is I don’t even think I jumped that high. That’s what was crazy. When I blocked it, I was definitely talking a lot of trash, for sure.”

Alexander-Walker then hit two free throws with 6.6 seconds left to put the Wolves up 131-128 and Gilgeous-Alexander missed just before the buzzer.

Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 39, 14 of which came at the free-throw line. McDaniels led the Wolves with 27 while Edwards had 17 points on 5-for-15 shooting, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Reid, who was grabbing at his right ankle after tripping late in the third quarter, had 22. He was able to return after the injury scare. Rob Dillingham provided a lift off the bench with 12 while Shannon had 17 huge points.

“It was clear at times, we were a little empty in the gas tank and couldn’t get anything established but the rhythm of the game changed when those guys brought it up,” Finch said. “Terrence was outstanding, Nickeil was really, really good. Rob was really good tonight, I thought. Those guys.”

Edwards also enjoyed the show, until he was ready to rejoin it near the end.

“I’m on the bench just watching the game like, ‘Oh, we got another stop. Oh, we got another stop.’” he said. “And I think shout-out to Finchy, man, he made a great adjustment as far as just going to blitz Shai. Because that’s what they did to me all night. So they got a taste of their own medicine.”

McDaniels steadied the Wolves offense through a slow opening few minutes as McDaniels hit four of his first five shots for nine early points. The Wolves stayed within striking distance after the Thunder built an early lead behind 11 from Gilgeous-Alexander and seven from Jalen Williams, who finished with 27. Both teams shot 50% or better in the first quarter. The Wolves crashed the offensive glass for eight second-chance points in the quarter, and those helped make up for the four turnovers they committed. Oklahoma City led 32-28 after one quarter.

The Wolves dealt with foul trouble early in the second quarter as Shannon and Mike Conley each picked up the third fouls. The Thunder grabbed their largest lead of the night 37-28 as Joe Ingles joined the rotation because of that foul trouble. As Edwards sat his usual stint early in the second quarter, the Thunder pushed that lead into double digits for the first time.

The Wolves committed another three turnovers that enabled the Thunder to make it 48-35 as Finch called timeout at the 5:24 mark. The Thunder were on a 17-7 run.

The Wolves opened 4-for-18 from three-point range in the first half and their defense was a step slow or missed assignments toward the later part of the quarter. Oklahoma city led 64-45 at the half. They kept the lead in the 20s most of the quarter as Gilgeous-Alexander was up to 30 by the end of the third and the Thunder led 102-80.

Jaylen Clark was able to start a night after suffering a scary fall in which he banged his head off the floor at Target Center. Clark avoided concussion protocol and came into the game as questionable because of neck pain. He was in the starting lineup, as he was Sunday night. … Donte DiVincenzo was participating in 3-on-3 workouts before the game. The Wolves had previously said DiVincenzo (left great toe sprain) was cleared for noncontact drills on Friday, but it appeared Monday that his activity level was able to ramp up. That’ll continue when the team goes to Los Angeles after Oklahoma City.

“He’s done a great job,” Finch said. “A lot of full-bore live stuff for him. We’ll get a chance to practice in L.A. on this trip, which we’re looking forward to seeing him five-on-five in a team setting.”

Monday’s game not only marked the Wolves’ biggest comeback ever, but it was the fourth time in the past year they have come back from at least 20 points down to win.

March 12, 2024: Wolves 118, L.A. Clippers 100 (down 22 in second)

April 9, 2024: Wolves 130, Washington 121 (down 21 in first)

May 19, 2024: Wolves 98, Denver 90* (down 20 in third)

Feb. 24, 2025: Wolves 131, Oklahoma City 128, OT (down 25 in third)

*-playoff game