Timberwolves go berserk from 3 in fourth quarter, cruise to win in OKC
Minnesota busted out the flame-throwers in the fourth quarter and turned what was a close game with the Oklahoma City Thunder into an easy win. Final score: 116, 106.
Minnesota was 4-of-22 from 3 before they went unconscious in the fourth quarter, led by six triples from Taurean Prince, Jaylen Nowell, Naz Reid and Anthony Edwards in a span of just over four minutes.
Here's how Wolves possessions went the first six minutes of the fourth, specifically the nine straight makes in a stretch of 4 minutes, 14 seconds.
- Taurean Prince missed 3
- Jaylen Nowell missed 3
- Naz Reid missed 3
- Taurean Prince made 3
- Anthony Edwards made step back (23-footer)
- Taurean Prince made 3
- Jaylen Nowell made layup
- Jaylen Nowell made 3
- Naz Reid made 3
- Naz Reid made 3
- Anthony Edwards made 3
- Anthony Edwards made jump shot
- Anthony Edwards missed 3
That turned Minnesota's 82-76 lead into a 106-84 margin. The same lineup that kept Minnesota alive in Friday's overtime loss to the Jazz did the damage: Jordan McLaughlin, Jaylen Nowell, Anthony Edwards, Taurean Prince and Naz Reid.
The dominating quarter allowed head coach Chris Finch to rest Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels and D'Angelo Russell for the entire fourth quarter.
Gobert still finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds in only 25 minutes. Towns had 15 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists in 30 minutes, while Russell scored 6 points to go with 6 assists. He only attempted five shots.
Edwards finished with 30 points for a second straight game and he added 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the year.
"The last two games I've just been playing with an enormous amount of joy," Edwards said on the Bally Sports North postgame show, explaining that his college coach Tom Crean texted him after the first game of the season saying he didn't look as happy on the court as he usually does.
Reid and Nowell both finished with 14 points.
"We got a deep team," Edwards added.
OKC played without star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (hip contusion) and Josh Giddey didn't play in the fourth quarter after suffering a sprained ankle.
