The battle for the first place in the West
The Thunder overtook the Timberwolves to take the first place in the West, but this position is not stable because they did not open up the gap with the Timberwolves, and the two teams have the same record, both 32-14. In this game, the two teams ushered in a head-to-head showdown, and whoever can win this game will be able to temporarily sit on the throne of the first place in the West. Whether it's the Thunder or the Timberwolves, both teams are youth teams. The Timberwolves relied on a duo of Towns and Edwards, and the team's defensive efficiency is the best in the league.
Compared with the Timberwolves' bias, the Thunder are both offensive and defensive, with the team's offensive efficiency sixth in the league and defensive efficiency fourth in the league. Alexander has grown into a superstar in the league, and even Edwards can't match it. But the Timberwolves have a super advantage over the Thunder, and that is the interior.
The Thunder take on the Timberwolves
At the beginning of the first quarter of the game, Alexander showed the strength of the star, with 11 points, 1 rebound and 3 assists on 3-of-6 shooting, Keady also had 9 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist, Jalen had 6 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist, and the team scored 28 points in a single quarter, but the Timberwolves scored 29 points, Edwards got 6 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists, Reid scored 6 points and 1 rebound, and the team blossomed more with more points. After returning from the second quarter, the Thunder's hand dropped, Alexander and Keady each scored only 2 points, and the team only scored 19 points in a single quarter, but the Timberwolves failed to take their chances.
Edwards scored another 7 points, 1 rebound and 1 steal, and Towns also had 8 points and 3 rebounds, and the team only scored 20 points in a single quarter, and at the end of the half, the Timberwolves led the Thunder by 2 points at 49-47. In the second half, Alexander still had no solution, scoring 12 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals on 3-of-6 shooting, Jalen also scored 8 points, and the team scored 30 points in a single quarter. Edwards scored nine points on 4-of-7 shooting, and Gobert also had six points and nine rebounds, but the team only scored 24 points, and the Thunder managed to take a four-point lead.
In the final quarter that decided the outcome of the game, the Timberwolves kept catching up, Reed hit a three-point shot to help the team complete the overtake, Jalen immediately responded with three points, Gobert dunked under the basket, Alexander also had a mid-range, and the Timberwolves scored 7 points in a row to open up the difference. Alexander made both free throws, and Walker also hit two free throws, and the game was completely out of suspense. In the end, the Minnesota Timberwolves managed to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder 107-101.
Alexander did his best
As the star of the team, Alexander undoubtedly did his best, shooting 10 of 18 from the field, 15 of 16 from the free throw line, and getting 37 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists. Jalen Williams, as the team's second leader, also has 20 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists, Keady has 13 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists, as for Holmgren, facing the Timberwolves' twin tower combination, it can be said that he is completely lost, with only 4 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists on 2-of-9 shooting. Without strengthening the interior depth, it will be difficult for this Thunder team to make a difference in the playoffs.
The Timberwolves were able to win this game, thanks to the double champions, Edwards had 27 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, although he did not have the height of Alexander, but he was still a well-deserved star. Towns also had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists, and the duo combined for 48 points to become the key to the win. Gobert also had 12 points and 17 rebounds on 6-of-6 shooting, Walker had 12 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists, McDaniels had 14 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist, and Lee Kyle on the bench played 17 minutes and only had 2 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists on 1-of-4 shooting.