If there’s a cheat code for playoff basketball, the Timberwolves just entered it. Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals looked less like a high-stakes postseason clash and more like a basketball mixtape gone viral. The Wolves came out with energy, attitude, and an offense that hit harder than a 2007 LeBron chase-down block.

From the very first possession, Minnesota looked like the team that had been here before — even if their history says otherwise. Edwards was slicing through defenders, Randle was flexing mid-fadeaway, and by the time the Thunder realized what hit them, it was already 34–14. And that was just the first quarter.

Now let’s talk history, because that’s exactly what went down at the Target Center. With the final buzzer reading 143-101, the Timberwolves didn’t just take a 1-2 change in the series — they set a franchise playoff record for most points in a single postseason game. That’s right: 143 points, a number so high it should’ve come with a “viewer discretion advised” warning.

This broke their previous playoff scoring high of 130 points set against Memphis in 2022. And to make things even more wild, the 42-point win is one of the largest margins in conference finals history. It wasn’t just a win; it was a statement in all caps, bold, underlined, and signed “With love, Anthony Edwards.”

Let’s give credit where it’s due: Anthony Edwards is playing like he’s got MJ’s killer instinct, D-Wade’s explosiveness, and Jimmy Butler’s receipts folder. The 23-year-old phenom dropped 30 points on a preposterous 12-of-17 shooting, including 5-of-8 from deep, and added 9 boards, 6 dimes, and 2 steals for good measure.

He did it all in just 31 minutes, casually torching the Thunder like he was late for a dinner reservation. Edwards wasn’t hunting shots — shots were hunting him. Every time OKC tried to put a body on him, he either slipped by, pulled up, or dunked like he was filming the next Space Jam audition tape.

Balanced attack, bench on fire, and Edwards’ determination

But it wasn’t just Ant. Julius Randle finally looked like the guy Knicks fans once believed in, dropping 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting and registering a game-high +38 plus-minus. Seven Wolves hit double figures. Nine players recorded multiple assists. At one point, fans were so confident, they started chanting for Joe Ingles like he was about to drop a mixtape.

Terrence Shannon Jr., the rookie with the speed of a MyPlayer build on turbo, came in and gave the Wolves an instant jolt: an and-one floater, a pull-up jumper, a steal-to-layup in transition — all before OKC even scored a second-quarter bucket.

From Donte DiVincenzo to Naz Reid, everyone was clicking. Minnesota racked up 14 more paint points, 14 more bench points, and looked like a squad that read every negative tweet about them during Games 1 and 2 and took it personally.

Meanwhile, the Thunder looked… stunned. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s been cooking teams all playoffs, was held to just 14 points on 13 shots — his lowest postseason output this year. Minnesota’s defense looked like it watched film of the 2004 Pistons and said, “Bet.”

Let’s put this beatdown into historical context. The Wolves’ +42 win is up there, but still trails the 58-point playoff record margin set by the 1956 Lakers and 2009 Nuggets. And fun fact: this wasn’t even the biggest blowout this postseason. The Cavs beat Miami by 55, and OKC themselves beat Memphis by 51 in their opener. So yeah, karma moves fast in the NBA.

But this was still Minnesota’s biggest playoff win ever, and that’s saying something for a franchise that’s had more drama than a TNT pregame panel.

With the Thunder up 2-1 and Game 4 looming on Monday, the Thunder need to regroup and fast. This was a gut-check game, and they failed the test with red ink and sad emojis. OKC needs more physicality, better transition defense, and frankly, a miracle to stop the Anthony Edwards show.

Minnesota? They’re thriving. They’ve got momentum, swagger, and a squad that looks deeper than a 2014 Spurs roster. If this version of the Wolves shows up again, the West might need to call for backup.