Thunder, Timberwolves Face Off in Pivotal Back-to-Back Series

The Oklahoma City Thunder are on a roll, winning eight of their last nine games, and they’ll look to keep the momentum going when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night in Minneapolis. The teams won’t have to wait long for a rematch either—after Sunday’s game, they’ll fly south to Oklahoma City for a Monday night showdown.

Thunder Hitting Their Stride

Oklahoma City continued its dominant run with a 130-107 victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday, showing off the chemistry that has fueled their recent success.

Forward Jalen Williams believes the team’s growth and cohesion have been key.

“We’re just growing into a more mature team, understanding what it takes to win before we even play the game,” Williams said. “It feels like that preseason energy again—everyone’s healthy, we’re running, having fun, and just growing up.”

The Thunder are led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is averaging 32.2 points and 6.1 assists per game. Williams adds 20.9 ppg, while Chet Holmgren (15.1 ppg) has made a major impact since returning from injury four games ago.

Holmgren’s return has also allowed head coach Mark Daigneault to experiment with a “two-big” lineup, pairing Holmgren with Isaiah Hartenstein (7’0″).

“Defensively, it’s going to take care of itself,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But offensively, we have to be more strategic in our attacks. With two bigs, it’s a little slower and there’s less space, but thankfully, Chet can shoot.”

Wolves Struggling in Close Games

Minnesota has played well overall but has lost three of its last four games. Their 121-115 loss to the Houston Rockets on Friday was another example of their struggles in tight, late-game situations.

In fact, their last two losses were by a combined eight points, and four of their last six losses were decided by just two points.

Head coach Chris Finch wants his team to step up in the clutch.

“Our issue is we’ve got to win close games,” Finch said. “I don’t know who we are in clutch situations yet. Our shot selection and decision-making in those moments have to improve.”

Minnesota is led by Anthony Edwards (27.6 ppg, 41.1% from three), but they’re missing key offensive production with Julius Randle (18.9 ppg) out due to a groin injury. That puts extra pressure on Naz Reid (14.6 ppg) and Jaden McDaniels (11.6 ppg) to step up.

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Series Tied—Who Takes the Edge?

This is the third meeting between these two teams this season. The Thunder won the first matchup 113-105 on Dec. 31, while the Timberwolves evened the series with a 116-101 victory on Feb. 13.

With both teams pushing for playoff positioning, these back-to-back games could have major implications. Will the Thunder stay hot, or can the Timberwolves find their clutch factor?