Event Details
- Date and Time: Saturday, May 24, 2025, 6:30 CT
- Venue: Target Center, Minnesota, USA
- Competition: NBA Playoff Game
| Odds via 20Bet | |
| Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves | Saturday, May 24, 2025, 6:30 CT |
| Oklahoma City Thunder Odds | -156 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves Odds | +127 |
| Over\Under | Over 220.5: +119 |
| Betting Bonus | Up to 100 $/€ |
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves Preview
Oklahoma City Thunder Team News
After a dominant game 2, where OKC managed to win by double digits yet again, they’ll be looking to put their foot on Minnesota’s throat and put them down 3-0 on Saturday.
Many analysts questioned whether or not the young team led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would find real success in the playoffs, but they’ve managed to quiet any haters.
Tuff 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/6m5igjdryn
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 23, 2025
SGA has been an absolute force, dropping 38 on great efficiency in game two, while Chet Holmgren has managed to stretch the floor and dominate down low in a way many of us weren’t expecting. Julius Randle had no answer for him down low, and Rudy Gobert was completely unable to keep up with him, causing him to be benched for most of the game.
Moreover, their perimeter defence was suffocating throughout all four quarters, with their performance in the third especially dominant. Josh Hart was completely neutralized, leaving Anthony Edwards on an island to fend for himself, leading to bad shots and easy steals throughout the game.
WHEN IN LOUD CITY 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/8REJy4ldJT
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 23, 2025
Going into game 3, OKC is yet again the heavy favorite to not only win the game, but win the series overall. With their talent, athleticism, and matchup nightmares, the Timberwolves are going to be facing an uphill battle throughout the rest of this series.
Minnesota Timberwolves Team News
Unfortunately for Minnesota Timberwolves fans, they seem to be outclassed on both the defensive and offensive side of the ball, with game two shining a light on their weaknesses.
Julius Randle has seemingly regressed after having a great postseason run in the first and second rounds, shooting with terrible efficiency while still forcing far too many shots up. This not only killed the momentum on many possessions, but gave OKC several free points off his bricks.
final. pic.twitter.com/zjHm6eEuZL
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 23, 2025
With Randle playing off, Josh Hart getting clamped up, and Rudy Gobert benched throughout the game, Anthony Edwards had all the pressure on him, which was evident with all of the double-team action going on. But even with this pressure, he managed to drop a solid 32 points, which was sadly not enough to push his team over the edge.
This really shows that Edwards cannot be the only productive player on the floor if they want to win; he’s not Luka Dončić.
Down low, they were also getting torched by Chet Holmgren, who spaced the floor far too well for Gobert, but when they attempted to place a smaller guy on him, they got abused in the post. It was a lose-lose situation for the Timberwolves.
📸📸📸 https://t.co/IQrgFy0Oea pic.twitter.com/qv0L771jGz
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 23, 2025
That being said, their outside defence was overall solid throughout the game, grabbing a couple of steals and hounding OKC’s shooters to hopefully decrease their efficiency, at least a little bit.
It really isn’t looking too hot for Minnesota going into game three at home; they’re going to have to do something about the big man down low while trying their best to slow down SGA. If they don’t make some seriously radical changes, it’s going to be a repeat of games 1 and 2.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves Prediction
- Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder to win
- Odds: -156 (20Bet)
- Score prediction: OKC 120 – 105 Minnesota Timberwolves
The Oklahoma City Thunder absolutely dominated game 2 at home, managing to set a new NBA record for the most double-digit margins of victory in a single season. This was on the back of some amazing play by not only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander but also Chet Holmgren, who was instrumental in spreading the floor while taking full advantage of his mismatches down low in the paint.
The 38 points dropped by SGA and 22 by Holmgren opened up the floor for OKC to dominate throughout all four quarters, scoring from really wherever they wanted. And adding insult to injury, when Minnesota attempted to rally in the late third and early fourth quarters, several clutch threes by OKC role players put the game to bed.
#ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/5O5itIQoZX
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 23, 2025
That being said, Minnesota was decent on the defensive side of the ball, with their perimeter defence in particular standing out and keeping them in the game. It was just unfortunate that their double teams really hurt them in the fourth, as OKC was able to pass around them and get several easy buckets.
Moreover, Julius Randle was just disappointing in game 2; for a guy who’s supposed to be the second option on offence, his shooting was terrible, and he was nonexistent in the paint. He’s going to need to step up in a big way if Minnesota is going to have any chance at bringing home to dub at home for game 3.
Defended home court ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/94fcDOrKeH
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 23, 2025
We had high hopes for the Timberwolves going into this series, especially with Randle and Edwards seemingly playing at elite levels, but they’ve been falling flat so far this series.
Overall, we again have to agree with the bookmakers, OKC has a great shot at walking into the Target Center and taking Minnesota’s lunch money. SGA, Holmgren, and Jalen Williams seem to be far too overwhelming for just Anthony Edwards to deal with.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves Betting Tips
- Pick: Anthony Edwards to score 27.5 or more
- Odds: -127
Despite the double-digit loss in game 2, Anthony Edwards actually played pretty well, dropping 32 points on decent efficiency. With this in mind, he’s not going to want to go down 3-0, especially in front of the home fans, so we will likely see his usage rate skyrocket as he tries to bail his team out of this hole. 27.5 points or more is not a stretch by any means.
- Pick: Chet Holmgren to score 15.5 or more
- Odds: -120 (20Bet)
As we expected, Chet Holmgren is the key to this series, with his ability to not only spread the floor but also play down low against smaller defenders. In game 2, he took full advantage of his skillset, dropping 22 and even getting a poster on two defenders in the fourth. He will likely continue this dominance with Rudy Gobert out of the picture and Julius Randle struggling to keep up with his size.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves Where to Watch (USA, Canada)
- NBA League Pass,ESPN+, Fubo (USA)
- TSN,Sportsnet (Canada)
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