Inside The Thunder

Disjointed Timberwolves Await Oklahoma City Thunder if They Can Overcome Pelicans

If the Oklahoma City Thunder can beat the Pelicans, a rattled Timberwolves team is the only thing that stands in the way of a playoff berth.
Dustin McLaughlin|
Disjointed Timberwolves Await Oklahoma City Thunder if They Can Overcome Pelicans
Disjointed Timberwolves Await Oklahoma City Thunder if They Can Overcome Pelicans

In this story:

Oklahoma City ThunderNew Orleans PelicansMinnesota Timberwolves

On Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves battled for the rights to the seventh seed in the Western Conference. The first half belonged to the Timberwolves who led 60-49 at the break, but a wild roller coaster of a second half saw the Lakers bounce back from a 15-point deficit to see a Dennis Schroder 3-pointer force overtime and secure a spot in the Playoffs.

Though the Timberwolves lost, they still have an opportunity to lock up the eighth seed but first must defeat whoever emerges victorious from a Play-In match between the ninth and tenth seed, held by the New Orleans Pelicans and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Should Minnesota lose, they will forfeit the eighth seed over to either the Pelicans or Thunder.

And right now, things aren’t looking great for the Timberwolves.

On Sunday night, in a game that would decide the eighth and ninth seeds just ahead of the start of the Play-In Tournament, Minnesota suffered a major setback as they lost their best interior defender and their best perimeter defender.

During their match with New Orleans, a heated conversation between teammates, Kyle Anderson and Rudy Gobert, led to a punch being thrown by Gobert before the emotional Frenchman was exiled to the locker room. Later, in the same game, Jaden McDaniels, punched a wall and fractured his hand, effectively ending his season.

Following that unfathomable meltdown, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Gobert would not travel with his team to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers for their oh-so-important Play-In match, suggesting that the Timberwolves’ front office wants to keep him away from the team for now. And at this point, it isn’t clear when, or if, Gobert, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, might return.

Should the Thunder find a way to overcome the Pelicans in New Orleans, on Wednesday night, they presumably won’t have much time or rest or on their side as an almost three-hour flight will await them before having to turn around and play the Timberwolves on Friday night. 

One advantage they have, however, is the fact that Minnesota seems to be scrambling for answers on the defensive side of the ball after having to sideline not one, but two key defensive contributors.

Want to join the discussion? Like SI Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.

Published
Dustin McLaughlin
DUSTIN MCLAUGHLIN

Dustin has followed the Oklahoma City Thunder since their inception in 2008, and the NBA since the early 2000s. He's been scouting NBA prospects for 4 years and running.

Home/News