Three Takeaways From OKC Thunder's Most Lopsided Loss of the Season

The Oklahoma City Thunder suffered a 116-101 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves Thursday night — its worst loss by point differential of the 2024-25 season. Oklahoma City managed to tie the game not long after halftime despite falling behind by 17 points midway through the second quarter but ultimately ran out of steam.

Anthony Edwards scored 23 points on 5-for-18 shooting, including a ferocious first-quarter dunk over Chet Holmgren, and made 10 of 11 free-throw attempts. He added seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Jaden McDaniels tallied 21 points on 9-for-18 shooting, six rebounds and five assists.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 24 points on 6-for-21 shooting and 11-for-11 free throws, nine assists and eight rebounds. Jalen Williams finished with 20 points on 8-for-17 shooting, five assists, three rebounds, a steal and a block.

Statistic	Thunder	Timberwolves
Points	101	116
2-Pointers	30-for-59	30-for-53
3-Pointers	7-for-29	12-for-46
Free Throws	20-for-24	20-for-22
Turnovers	9	8
Offensive Rebounds	12	20

Let's dive into three takeaways from the game.

Naz Reid was the best player on the floor

Reid filled up the box score with a game-high 27 points on 11-for-18 shooting, 14 rebounds, seven assists and a block.

The 6-foot-9 center made a rare start due to Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle missing the game with injuries. He torched Thunder defenders with turnaround hook shots and driving floaters, finishing 8-for-9 in the paint. Reid swished an impressive first-quarter attempt over Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein before imposing his will down low against perimeter personnel during the third quarter.

"We could have done a much better job collectively," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said, "We had guards on (Reid) for much of the night to try to switch him, and we were just a little loose on our coverages."

Reid made three of nine 3-point shots. He missed an attempt with five and a half minutes left which would have made him the first Thunder opposing player to reach 30 points since Jordan Poole on Dec. 23, 2024.

Reid also anchored a mobile Timberwolves defense which kept the Thunder in check, even blocking a Gilgeous-Alexander driving layup.

Minnesota outworked everyone for second-chance points

Reid grabbed four offensive rebounds, helping contribute to the biggest statistical difference: second-chance points. The Timberwolves racked up 23 points on second and third opportunities, doubling Oklahoma City's 11.

While almost always crucial, this disparity proved insurmountable on a night when both teams combined for 25.3% 3-point shooting. The home team's five extra makes from downtown were equivalent to the final difference.

Eight Minnesota players secured at least one offensive board, led by reserve Luka Garza's six. The fourth-year Garza registered eight points and eight rebounds in 15 minutes.

Two Timberwolves rookies — Terrence Shannon Jr. and Rob Dillingham — played over 20 minutes off the bench and finished with a combined +41 plus-minus. They each came up with multiple offensive rebounds as well.

"I thought the guys off the bench, their young guys came in and gave them great pop and great energy," Daigneault said. "They were just a step ahead of us all night."

All-Star festivities provide much-needed rest opportunity

The Thunder played a road back-to-back for its fifth game in seven days, meaning All-Star Weekend has arrived at the perfect time.

"It gives us the ability to recover physically, mentally," Kenrich Williams said. "Just get a good break, step away from the game for a few days. Hopefully we come back strong and pick up right where we left off — minus this game."

Oklahoma City started the season 7-0 on games with zero days of rest but has dropped three of its previous four. The Timberwolves, to their credit, rebounded immediately from a two-point home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.

The Thunder remains in great shape, sitting 8.0 games above the No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference standings. It has still not lost back-to-back games all season. Now, the players and personnel can maximize a week-long reprieve from the demanding campaign.

"We do so much, we sacrifice so much to be able to play this game," Luguentz Dort said. "Whenever we have this type of time off, we'll use it to spend some time with our families and get away from basketball."

Oklahoma City takes on the Utah Jazz in Delta Center next Friday, Feb. 21 at 8:30 p.m. CST.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams will face off on Team Chuck's Global Stars and Team Kenny's Young Stars, respectively, in the 2025 All-Star Game this Sunday, Feb. 16 at 7:20 p.m. CST.

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