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Thunder Look to Hold Top Spot as They Face Timberwolves Before All-Star Break
The Oklahoma City Thunder enter Thursday’s matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves with one goal—hold onto the NBA’s best record heading into the All-Star break.
Coming off a 115-101 win over the Miami Heat, the Thunder are riding a seven-game winning streak and hold a slim lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the standings. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves will try to bounce back from a tough home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Leading the Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to play at an MVP-caliber level, dropping 32 points and nine assists in OKC’s latest victory. Luguentz Dort also played a key role, adding 17 points and stellar defense to slow down Miami’s Tyler Herro.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault praised Dort’s defensive intensity:
“These are great players he’s guarding. Herro’s a great player. It’s just amazing how hard [Dort] makes you work for your stuff.”
The Thunder previously beat the Timberwolves 113-105 on New Year’s Eve, with Gilgeous-Alexander torching Minnesota for 40 points.
Timberwolves Looking for a Response
The Timberwolves lost 103-101 to Milwaukee on Wednesday, despite Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard being out.
Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 28 points, but missed a potential game-winner in the final seconds.
Coach Chris Finch said he wants to see his team embrace the pressure as they gear up for the second half of the season:
“Fifty-five games into the season, we’ve got to start becoming who we really can be. If that brings a pressure that players are not able to handle, then maybe they’re not players that we need to go to war with.”
The Timberwolves also leaned on young talent, with rookies Terrence Shannon Jr. (11 points), Rob Dillingham (2 points), and Jaylen Clark (14 minutes of action) getting significant playing time.
Chet Holmgren Returns to His Hometown
A major storyline to watch is Chet Holmgren’s return to the Twin Cities. The Minneapolis native played high school ball at Minnehaha Academy before heading to Gonzaga and then the NBA.
Holmgren sat out Wednesday’s game for rest, but he’s expected to be back in the lineup Thursday. He will have a tough task matching up against Timberwolves big men Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid.
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What’s at Stake?
For the Thunder, it’s about locking up the NBA’s best record heading into the break. For the Timberwolves, it’s a chance to regain momentum and snap OKC’s winning streak before the season’s second half.
Will SGA and OKC continue their dominance, or can the Timberwolves stop them on their home floor?
The stage is set for a high-stakes Western Conference battle.
