What to Watch For in OKC Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

Neither team is riding any sort of high entering Thursday's contest. The Oklahoma City Thunder are still short handed without defensive ace Alex Caruso, All-NBA swingman Jalen Williams and top bench table setter Ajay Mitchell as Cason Wallace remains questionable. The silver lining? The Bricktown Ballers do see Isaiah Hartenstein return to the fold in this contest and are still 7-3 in their last ten tilts despite dropping two stinkers over the weekend to the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors over the week. That is the second best mark in said span only lagging beind the L.A. Clippers who are 9-1 in their last ten.

Still, the OKC Thunder hit the road to open up a grueling stretch prior to the NBA All-Star break while being short handed though Hartenstein's return is a positive jolt. The Timberwolves are on a two game winning streak but are still below .500 in their last ten games (4-6) and have to battle with the league's best on the second night of a travel back to back after Minnesota downed Dallas in the American Airlines Center on Wednesday.

This contest will be a marquee National TV get together between two Division rivals who have already clashed twice this season with each side having a win on its resume. The latest saw the Timberwolves defense energized by an early ejection of head coach Chris Finch with Anthony Edwards' superman output carrying Minnesota to a win.

Oklahoma City was in the mist of a free fall –– by their standards –– which led to plenty of narratives forming around this team. A win tonight could put the tooth paste back in the tube a bit for the reigning champions.

OKC Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolve — Dec 19, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) knocks the ball from Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) in the third quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

What to Watch For

The Oklahoma City Thunder get Isaiah Hartenstein back for a much needed appearance against this double big Timberwoles lineup that will roll Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert out countered by Hartenstein and should-be All-Star Chet Holmgren. Randle has been stellar for Minnesota this season and Gobert not only has continued to impress as a play finisher but is an elite rim protector on the defensive end. Not to mention the other front court options at Timberwolves' bench boss Chris Finch's disposal and you see why Mark Daigneault's club needed to be at full strength down low for this one. This moves Jaylin Williams into his natural third string role, makes Kenrich Williams a power forward and/or small ball center and Branden Carlson as a break glass in case of emergency option.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has kept his 20 plus point scoring streak alive but with the size and length of this Minnesota team, it will be a must-watch aspect of this affair without the scoring gravity of Jalen Williams or Ajay Mitchell to release some pressure from the Thunder superstar. He is starring down history for the most such games in a row in NBA history and this will be a nightly story for the foreseeable future.

With Oklahoma City having two straight off days for the first time since Dec. 26-27 after this contest, it marks the last time Chet Holmgren will have to stamp his All Star case. Hartenstein's playmaking to set up Holmgren including with their lob connection and help boxing out bodies downlow it should let the Gonzaga product slide in for put backs and receive the ball in advantageous situations for a big night offensively. The Thunder will need that to be the case to get a win, much less put a bow on what already has been an All-Star campaign for Holmgren.

Game Information

Date: Jan. 27
Matchup: OKC Thunder (38-10) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (29-19)
Time: 08:00 PM CT
Location: Target Center –– Minnesapolis, MN
TV: Amazon, FanDuel Sports OK
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM)

Up next, the Oklahoma City Thunder will head to Denver on Sunday to take on the Nuggets. This is part of a grueling stretch for Oklahoma City as this short-handed club takes on a plethora of Western Conference Contenders. That contest will tip off the NBA's new Sunday Night Basketball package on NBC, with Nikola Jokic's status up in the air. If Jokic is unable to play, not only would that impact those 48 minutes, but it would end his pursuit of the NBA MVP award, which bodes well for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to go back-to-back for the honor. Stay tuned to Thunder on SI for complete coverage of tonight's game and the entire season for Oklahoma City.