Thunder Gameday: OKC Takes on No. 1-Seeded Minnesota Timberwolves

Two of the NBA's top teams are facing off tonight in an In-Season Tournament matchup.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will travel to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves, the only team ahead of the Thunder in the Western Conference standings at the moment.

The Timberwolves are led by the star pairing of Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, who are both averaging over 20 points per game this season. They also have the second best defensive rating in the entire league, where Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels make most of the impact.

It will be a test for the Thunder to see how it stacks up against the elite of the West, and to prove itself as a legitimate contender.

ODDS:

The Thunder enter the day as 3.5-point underdogs to the Timberwolves, and the total over/under is 226.5 points.

KEYS TO THE GAME:

The Thunder creating offense won't come easy against one of the NBA's best defenses, so it will have to get creative to find ways to score. Gobert is a threat in the paint that will be tough to score on, but making him guard the perimeter limits his defensive capabilities.

Edwards is a handful on offense that will be the primary focus of the Oklahoma City defense, and Luguentz Dort should primarily be expected to have the assignment. Dort is one of the most difficult players to score on around the perimeter, so he will play an important role in this game.

Seeing how Chet Holmgren can handle Towns and Gobert will be interesting, as they are both very talented big men. The rookie will likely receive opportunities up against both, and will have to simultaneously be able to score on Gobert and prevent Towns from scoring.

RECORDS:

Oklahoma City Thunder (11-5) at Minnesota Timberwolves (12-4)

INJURIES:

Check out our live injury tracker, along with our game day injury report that will release later today.

WHEN:

Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023 at 7:00 PM CT

LOCATION:

Target Center – Minneapolis, MN

TV/RADIO:

Bally Sports Oklahoma, NBA League Pass, 98.1 FM The Sports Animal

FINAL WORD:

A win over the Timberwolves would tie both teams with a 2-2 record in Group C of the West in the In-Season Tournament, so it's an important game in many aspects for each opponent.

Following the game, Oklahoma City will return home to play the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, Nov. 30, at 7:00 p.m. CT.

Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the 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.